WHIST UNIVERSAL 

®xi Sfaalgsis of tlje ffiame 

AS IMPROVED 

BY THE INTRODUCTION OF 

AMERICAN LEADS 

AND ADAPTED TO ALL METHODS OF PLAY 

BY 
G. W. P. 

"Q AUTHOR OF "AMERICAN WHIST " 



7^ 




-S 



The more the American system is examined, the more thorough and 
perfect it will be found. — Laws and Principles, by Cavendish, \bth 
edition, p. 117. 



BOSTON 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY 
211 Fremont Street 

1887 







G-V./2.7 7 

76"" 
1^7 



Copyright) 1887, 

By Ticknor and Company. 



All rights reserved. 



SCnibtrsitB Press: 
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. 



TO 

THE PLAYERS OF WHIST 

WHO STUDY THE GAME 

&I)i* ?£ook 

IS DEDICATED. 



PREFACE, 



It is the purpose of this work to present 
opinions of European and American authorities 
upon the conduct of the Game of Whist ; to give 
the history of French, English, and American 
leads and inventions ; to show in what respect 
the practice in play of former time has been 
superseded by that of the present ; and to apply 
the instructions of the best writers and players, 
from Folkestone to Trist, to the proper develop- 
ment of either method of play in vogue at any 
of the clubs in this country. 



CONTENTS. 



English, 



Page 

Introduction 1 

About the Books 5 

Authorities v. 7 

Inventions 11 

f Folkestone Club 12 

The Discard 12 

The Penultimate 12 

I Echo of the Call 13 

French, Coups of Deschapelles - ... 15 

' Ace, then Mng 17 

King, then knave 17 

9, with king and knave ... 17 

Refusal to play queen second . 18 

Signal in plain suit .... 18 

Leads of Mr. Trist ..... 18 

Unblocking 19 

Plain-suit Echo 19 

The Three Methods 20 

The Lead 22 

Order of Leads 24 

From the ace 24 

From the king 30 

From the queen 34 



American, 



x Contents. 



Page 

From the knave 34 

From the 10, 9, or 8 35 

Remarks on Leads 36 

Comments by Cavendish 41 

Comments by Cavendish 45 

Objections 47 

Second Hand 51 

Exceptions to lowest-card play .... 52 

Explanations to exceptions 53 

Analysis of Second Hand ........ 59 

With the ace 59 

With the king 60 

Third Hand 64 

Unblocking 67 

Explanatory remarks 72 

Fourth Hand 82 

Special Topics 86 

Folkestone's advice 86 

Strong or weak in trumps 86 

Sequence lead 87 

Return of partner's lead 87 

Return of opponent's lead 87 

Command of opponent's suit .... 87 

Holding highest card 87 

Getting rid of command 88 

Play on knave led by partner .... 88 

Partner's lead from five 88 

Play on partner's trump-lead .... 89 

Information by system in lead .... 89 

Information by system in reply .... 89 

Throwing away highest card, or second best 90 



Contents, xi 



Page 

Play of two cards in sequence .... 90 

American-whist leads 90 

Difference in trump-play 91 

Partner's lead of trumps « 93 

Responsibility of caller 94 

Management of trumps 95 

Danger of over -trumping 96 

Drawing the last trump 96 

Loss by over-trumping 96 

Throwing the lead 97 

When to lead opponent's suit .... 98 

Trumping second-best card 98 

Force mutually beneficial 98 

Partner taking the force 98 

Over-trumping, when safe 99 

Forcing hand of trumps .99 

Playing to score, affecting the lead . .100 

Difference in choice of lead 100 

Saving game against odds 101 

Different play for points 103 

The laws contrasted 104 

Forcing the Partner 105 

Cavendish's argument 106 

Drayson's argument 107. 

J. C.'s argument 109 

Long Whist reasons .110 

Lewis's argument Ill 

Lewis's refusal to force though strong . 112 

Lewis's illustrative game and remarks . 113 

The 9 118 

Finesse 123 



xii Contents. 



Pack 

Clay's orders 123 

Deschapelles' orders 126 

Signalling 130 

The trump-signal and others 130 

Drayson's protest 132 

Getting in a Little Trump 135 

The Echo 139 

Common-Sense Whist . 143 

Game by Lewis 143 

Test Game , 147 

Laws of Whist 153 

Loose wording of English laws .... 154 
Laws op Short Whist (Cavendish) . . . . . 159 

Remarks upon Laws 177 

Five-point Whist 180 

Laws of Long Whist 191 

Remarks upon laws 194 

Lead of the 9 207 

Hand I. (from " Laws and Principles "). 

Played by Short Whist, and remarks . . 208 
Played by Long Whist, and remarks . .210 
Hand XIV. (from " Laws and Principles ") . 

Played by Short Whist, and remarks . .213 
Played by Long Whist, and remarks . . 214 
Hand XXVII. (from " Laws and Principles "). 
Played by Short Whist, and remarks . .217 
Played by Long Whist, and remarks . . 219 

The Informatory 9 221 

Hand IV. (from " Whist Developments "). 

Played by Short Whist, and remarks . . 222 
Played by Long Whist, and remarks . . 223 



Contents. xiii 



Page 

American Leads 225 

Low Card led 225 

First Maxim 227 

High Card led (followed by low card) . 228 

Second Maxim ......... 229 

Table of Leads, No. 1 230 

High Card led (followed by high card) . 231 

Third Maxim 234 

Critical comments 234 

Table of Leads, No. 2 244 

A Hand at Cards 245 

Playing at whist, a burlesque .... 245 



APPENDIX 253 



THE WHIST SCORE. 

Short Whist uses no score-card, keeping its points 
(made by cards and honours) with chips or couuters. 
When five points are made, a game is reckoned (p. 173, 
Law 67). When two games out of three are won, a 
rubber valued according to the rule (p. 174, Law 71) is 
scored. 

Five-point Whist uses counters to indicate the num- 
ber of points made by cards. When five points are 
made the game is finished, and counts upon the rubber 
in the same manner as in Short Whist. 



Long Whist has special regard for points only, 
since all the cards are played for all that can be made 
(p. 193, Law 12). Division of game and rubber is 
made in order that there may be exchange of partners, 
or admission to the table of new players, if such ex- 
change or admission is desirable. Long Whist there- 
fore authorizes the use of a score-card, which shows the 
games and rubbers while registering the exact number 
of points to which each player is entitled. 



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INTRODUCTION. 



The first-class whist-player is already apprised 
of the fact that the most radical improvement ever 
made in the practical play of his favorite game 
is effected by the introduction of American Leads. 
He is also aware that their adoption by European 
clubs has become, or is fast becoming, a necessity. 

Cavendish, the highest English authority, hav- 
ing in an address before the London Players 
advised the acceptance of the new regime, in his 
preface to the sixteenth edition of " Laws and 
Principles " says : " The author is firmly con- 
vinced that American leads are founded on true 
principles of whist-play, and they therefore have 
his hearty approval." He does not take the re- 
sponsibility of ordering an entire change in the 
English play, because not all the members of cer- 
tain clubs in London have admitted their superi- 
ority over plans in use. To convince persons who 
do not desire to be convinced, is a work that gen- 
erally requires time. We shall chronicle several 
1 



Introduction. 



important regulations to which the foreign players 
will eventually give their adherence, expecting 
them however to take all advantage of the law of 
limitation. 

According to the celebrated player James Clay, 
it was a great triumph for the [Frenchmen when 
some forty years ago the English champions went 
to France to do battle, and " were constrained to 
return with a system modified, if not improved, by 
their French experience. For our neighbors — ac- 
curate, logical, and original thinkers — had not been 
content to imitate our system, but had created a 
system of their own. We were forced to recog- 
nize a wide difference between their system and 
ours ; and the French game became the scorn and 
the horror of the old school." But that old school 
of England " went gradually to its grave with an 
unchanged faith, and in the firm belief that the 
invaders with their rash trump-leading were all 
mad, and that their great master Deschapelles, the 
first whist-player beyond any comparison the world 
has ever seen, was a dangerous lunatic/' 

Some of the players of England may be as un- 
willing to accept advice from America as their 
predecessors were to take it from France; but 
even as what of brilliancy belongs to their play 
is of French origin, and as what now is offered of 



Introduction, 



ingenuity is of American origin, they must yield 
to the inevitable. The French game was full of 
finesse and daring. " The manner in which they 
seemingly gave away tricks," said Mr. George 
Lytle, "was perplexing." But they played for 
the entire hand, and strove to see the end from 
the beginning. 

"A fair finesse lost is a game saved; a deep 
finesse made is a game won," said the master 
Deschapelles ; but his inferences were all too in- 
tellectual for appreciation by the ordinary player, 
who blundered on, snapping at every trick on the 
instant for obtaining it, — leaving, whenever luck 
did not chance to favor him, the closing part of 
every hand at the mercy of adroit adversaries, who 
not only read his play but the cards he held. 

The merit of the inventions of Mr. Trist consists 
in the development of an under-lying law. The 
first card played is the index finger of the hand. 
Heretofore a special holding only warranted such 
a proclamation. Now the proper card is desig- 
nated, and having led it, there can be no hesitation 
as to what shall next be done. Certain combi- 
nations demand that certain leads shall be made. 
These are specified (p. 24 et seq.). Apart from these, 
a low card led from a strong suit is the fourth best 
of that suit ; an ace led from ace and four or 



Introduction. 



more small is followed by the original fourth best 
(see also Example 2). Having opened a suit of 
four, the highest of two indifferent cards is led ; 
having opened a suit of five, the lowest of those 
two. 

Examples. (1) A. holds k, 10, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2 ; 
he leads the 6 : he has exactly three cards of 
that suit higher than the card led. (2) A. holds 
ace, qu., 9, 7, 4, 2 ; he leads ace and follows with 
the 7 : he has exactly two cards higher than his 
last played card. A. holds k., qu., and others ; he 
leads k, — that takes ; then original fourth best, 
showing exactly two cards higher than that last 
played by him. Or, he holds k., kn., 10, and others ; 
leads the 10 ; if it wins, he follows with original 
fourth best, — showing of course k. and kn. in his 
hand. (3) A. holds k, kn., 10, 9 ; he leads the 9 ; 
though ace and qu. fall, his next lead is the k. 
The three cards that he holds are all indifferent, 
but his play of the k proclaims but the kn. and 10. 
If A. holds k, kn., 10, 9, 6, he plays first 9, then 
kn., and he has shown another card in hand be- 
side the k and 10. If he holds k, kn., 10, 9, 6, 5, 
he plays first 9, then 10 ; k and kn. already pro- 
nounced in his hand, he must also hold two more 
of the suit (see Order of Leads for full particu- 
lars of play). 



About the Books. 



ABOUT THE BOOKS. 

A book is needed whose arguments and ex- 
amples shall be based upon the principles that 
govern the new mode of play. Its title, " Whist 
Universal/' is chosen because to the different 
methods (p. 20) the morale of American Leads is 
applicable. 

The writer of history sometimes prints a long 
list of names of authors whose works were con- 
sulted, as he states, when making his book; and 
yet we are tacitly given to understand that from 
many of them very little was elicited. Inasmuch 
as forty-five fiftieths of the books and pamphlets 
upon whist published in England or republished 
here, which we have happened to see, were made 
up of (1) the laws of Short Whist; (2) anec- 
dotes of the maker's personal experience; (3) 
repetitions of Cavendish instruction ; and (4) a 
particular claim to the patent for furnishing all 
the information on earth concerning whist, while 
not one of them contained an original idea in refer- 
ence to the game or its management, — it does not 
appear proper to quote their opinions, certainly 



Whist Universal. 



not to consider them authorities, now that in the 
light of new revelations whatever of interest they 
may have possessed has passed away. 1 

The task, therefore, of making selections and 
quotations from English authorities that shall 
meet with prevalent approval will not be dim- 
cult, since the general rules of Cavendish not in 
conflict with the new order of things, "Whist 
Developments," the literal interpretation of Ameri- 
can correspondence with the London " Field," the 
excellent counsel of James Clay concerning finesse, 
and the luminous objections of Drayson to state- 
ments made by previous writers, constitute what 
remains of value to the whist-player in the mass 
of matter that has been flung upon the country 
by the prolific English press. 



1 See Appendix. 



Authorities. 



AUTHOEITIES. 

We give neither time nor space to history that 
does not affect the game as properly played to-day. 
When Cavendish issued the first edition of his 
"Laws and Principles," — a compilation of deci- 
sions of the players of twenty years ago, — he had 
Hoyle's amended orders, Mathew's, Paine's, and 
others' rules, the Folkestone traditions, and the 
Deschapelles inventions, from which to gather 
information to form a basis for a recommended 
practice. Eevisions of and additions to the origi- 
nal text have from time to time been made ; but 
the statement of the reasons upon which the 
principles of play are founded remaining sub- 
stantially the same, the work has passed trium- 
phantly through sixteen editions. The more recent 
of these are improvements upon the earlier, inas- 
much as additional valuable counsel upon play 
has been admitted to the body of the book. The 
original issue was swiftly followed by Clay's 
"Treatise" and Pole's " Theory," — the former, a 
series of directions by an excellent player ; the 
latter, a prolonged echo of the Folkestone com- 



8 Whist Universal. 

mand, "Lead from your strong suit; study your 
partner's hand." After a time Drayson followed 
with a book containing information upon Practical 
Whist, and critical comments upon the statements 
of his predecessors. His independent course gave 
him assured success ; emboldened by which play- 
ers of Short Whist, with or without provocation, 
rushed into print. Such books, like pretentious 
patent medicines, had a sale ; for about what was 
popular people desired to read, and it is infre- 
quently the case that novices in literature know 
what is best to buy. 

In April, 1884, an important circumstance oc- 
curred. A letter from an American, proposing for 
the highest order of play a new practical plan of 
his invention, was printed in the London " Field." 
The attack upon it by the wiseacres was a lively 
one, but the author continued his correspondence, 
defending his views. The controversy lasted many 
months, the American — proclaimed by the best 
players a victor from the outset — establishing his 
claim. 

The majority of persons who refer to Cavendish 
imagine that he is the originator of the leads and 
manner of play recommended by him. He is not 
an inventor, but a compiler. The authorship of 
certain conventionalities he claims, and the de- 



Aiithorities. 9 



mand is heartily conceded. But with reference 
to his text-book he writes : " In the case of whist, 
the idea of publishing hands played completely 
through is not mine ; nor is the scheme mine of 
giving reasons and arguments for all the princi- 
ples of play, instead of stating them, as was pre- 
viously done, in the form of isolated and arbitrary 
conventions. I have only clothed with words — 
and indeed not always that — the results of the 
discussions of valued friends and members of the 
little school that .obtained notoriety in 1871, in 
consequence of an article on whist which ap- 
peared in the * Quarterly Review ' in January of 
that year." 

Cavendish in his Introductory to " General 
Principles " remarks, that " by general reasoning, 
not by abstract calculation, the chances in favor of 
a certain line of play are determined," and recom- 
mends that " the student be satisfied if the reasons 
given appear weighty in themselves, and none 
weightier in opposition to them can be suggested." 
This is logic; and the method of play that he 
advised, founded upon the conclusions of all the 
authorities to whose opinions he at the time had 
access, has stood, and in great part will stand, the 
test of time. The weightier reasons that can now 
be given for deviation from rules that before dis- 



io Whist Universal. 

coveries were made were accepted as sound, are 
announced in part in " Whist Developments/' — 
the history of a system of new American Leads 
devised by Nicholas Browse Trist, of New Orleans, 
to whom the book is dedicated by Cavendish, who 
published it, illustrated and embellished in the 
popular manner of De La Eue. Cavendish thought 
it a remarkable circumstance that the best whist- 
player of the world should be a Frenchman ; per- 
il aps he thinks it more remarkable that the man 
who revolutionizes the game should be an Ameri- 
can. He would fain believe that American Leads 
add little that is new to the game. They add 
nothing. The game is in the cards, with all its 
possibilities. Watt added nothing to steam when 
he found it expansive ; Fulton added nothing to 
its capability when he invented the machinery it 
could drive. 

The introduction to the world of American 
Leads, and substitution of American play for that 
now rendered obsolete, marks the most famous 
era in the history of this wonderful game, simply 
because whist played by any method of count is 
now furnished with a system, by the use of which 
its power can be developed. 



Inventions. 1 1 



INVENTIONS. 

The fifth edition of Seymour's " Compleat Game- 
ster " was printed in 1734, and in it he designated 
whist as a " very ancient game among us." Hoyle 
lias been erroneously styled its father. His trea- 
tise was not printed until 1743, and there is no 
evidence that he devised a lead or invented a play. 
He did but set down in pamphlet form the cur- 
rent business of the day concerning it. He was a 
recognized gambler, who made calculations upon- 
chances and arranged tables of computations for 
laying wagers upon all manner of games and 
sports. From the Lord Folkestone party at the 
Crown Coffee-House he probably gained some 
information ; but their quality of play comes to 
us from other sources. 

Mathews and Paine, who followed Hoyle in pub- 
lication, proposed rules to be adopted in the con- 
duct of the game; but the inventions that were 
of note were evidently made by the intellectual 
men who began its scientific study in 1730. 
Mathews says of Hoyle that " so far from being 
able to teach the game, he was not fit to sit down 



12 Whist Universal. 

even with the third-rate players of his day." The 
game of 10 points that could be made by honours 
and cards was played in Seymour's time with forty- 
eight cards. The Folkestone party introduced the 
deuces and counted the odd card. They were the 
inventors of the lead from the long or strong suit, 
and of a plan of play in accordance with the de- 
mand of the partner's hand, studying that hand 
through the fall of the cards and the correct play of 
sequences. In the game which they had received 
from those who could not appreciate its capabili- 
ties, they made the important changes which form 
part and parcel of it to-day. The practice of 
Cavendish and the theory of Pole were ordained a 
century and a half ago by the Folkestone Club. 

The discard from the best plain suit on the 
adversary's lead or call for trumps, and of a card 
from the weakest suit upon the partner's lead or 
call, is of English invention. The order of play 
changed, however, to accommodate the revealed 
strength of the partner. 

The lead of the penultimate card from a suit of 
five or more is an invention of Cavendish, and 
until recently was properly considered of great 
value by way of conveying information. The 
rule that he laid down was : " Begin with the 
lowest but one of the suit you lead originally, if it 



Inventions, 1 3 



contains more than four cards." Cavendish had 
a strong opponent of his plan in Clay, who per- 
sisted in his opposition to any other lead than that 
of the lowest card. His brusque chapter on inter- 
mediate sequences was a feature of his lively 
" Treatise ; " but on reading the arguments of 
Cavendish he yielded, and declared his readiness 
to play with him at the " Portland," adopting his 
plan. 

The " echo of the call," Cavendish tells us, was 
adopted by the advanced players ten years ago. 
We presume it to be of English invention. It is 
of great value, for it tells of numerical strength 
where the player of the call or leader of the trump 
desired it to be. The directions of Cavendish for 
its play are, however, calculated to hinder rather 
than help the perception of his partner. He says : 
" You have 8, 7, 5, 2, of trumps. Your partner 
calls. You echo by trumping a suit with the 5, 
then lead the 8, and when your 2 falls your echo is 
completed ; " — and the game too, by that time, 
perhaps. Trump with the 5 and lead the 2. 

The trump-signal was not the result of invention, 
but of accident. Cavendish gives its history in this 
wise : " It is a common artifice, if you wish a trump 
to be led, to drop a high card to the adversary's 
lead, to induce him to believe that you will trump 



14 Whist Universal. 

it next round ; whereupon the leader will very 
likely change his suit, and perhaps lead trumps. 
Thus, if he leads king (from ace, k, and others) 
and you hold qu. and one other, it is evident that 
you cannot make the queen. If you throw the 
queen to his k, he may lead a trump to prevent 
your trumping his ace ; but if he goes on with his 
suit, and you drop your small card, it may fairly 
be inferred that you have been endeavoring to get 
him to lead a trump. Your partner should now 
take the hint, and, if he gets the lead, lead trumps ; 
for if you want them led, it is of little consequence 
from whom the lead comes. By a conventional 
extension of this system to lower cards, it is under- 
stood that whenever you throw away an unnecessa- 
rily high card, it is a sign (after the smaller card 
drops) that you want trumps led. This is called 
asking for trumps, or calling for trumps." 

It is strange that in more than half a century 
no one appeared as claimant of honors for discovery 
of any new play. The whist of Folkestone was 
the whist of Charles Lamb and Mrs. Battle, whom 
Lamb immortalized. Early in the present century 
the great player Deschapelles introduced his won- 
derful play to the Parisian clubs, — far the most 
original and brilliant ever known. The fine 
"coups," as may be known by the French term 



Inventions, 1 5 



for his startling acts, were of his invention; but 
the record of play not being kept, the many in- 
stances of victory achieved by the aid of his fore- 
sight and practice of strange ways, are lost to us. 
The shrewdest management of Clay is traceable 
to the teaching of Deschapelles. The grand coup 
that consists of throwing away a useless trump to 
gain a trick upon the forced play of right-hand 
opponent, and the so-called Deschapelles coup, 
made by the lead of a high card at the head of 
many to be lost to the adversary that the play 
may be forced up to the leader's partner, are the 
two distinguishing memories of his genius. Of 
the grand coup Clay says : " Every one who has 
played whist much must have observed the not 
infrequent occasions when a player has found him- 
self in the last three cards of the hand with a 
trump too many. He has been obliged to trump 
his partner's trick, to take the lead himself, and 
to lead from his ten ace, instead of being led to, 
by which a trick is lost. The triumph of the 
great whist-player is to foresee this position, and 
to take an opportunity of getting rid of this in- 
convenient trump, — which may be done either by 
under-trumping the adversary when you cannot 
over-trump him, or by trumping your partner's 
trick when you hold a losing card, with which 



1 6 Whist Universal. 

you know you can again give him the lead if you 
wish to do so. I have known Deschapelles, and 
not infrequently, to foresee this difficulty, and to 
defend himself against it many tricks before it was 
established or at all apparent to any one else." 

Deschapelles was the inventor of many daring 
coups for the play of which he was specially 
noted. His bold trump-leading in order that he 
might obtain advantages that he saw in the 
proper after-play of the cards that he held, 
astonished the calm Englishman, who, as Clay 
states, "thought him an inspired madman." These 
many coups of his peculiar leads for problematical 
results are practised of course, but not as it would 
seem as brilliantly as by him, for he kept the 
clubs in a fever by his constant successes. He 
had the faculty of reading the cards that fell, 
as also of placing those that remained, and was 
reported as always tormenting second-hand while 
he admirably played second-hand himself. His 
game was Long Whist without the trump-call or 
the echo, nor had the designated leads of high 
cards been arranged for informatory purposes. 
But he was the most wonderful of the whist- 
players, and the applause of all bystanders at 
the close of his well-conducted game was not 
infrequent. 



Inventions. 1 7 



Deschapelles issued a pamphlet, — " Traite du 
Whist;" but it did not record his own achieve- 
ments, nor was it other than a fragment of direc- 
tions or memoranda of laws. 

Long Whist was played in America according 
to the old method, honours counting, until the 
middle of this century. In the fall of 1857, when 
the Ohio Life and Trust Company of Cincinnati 
made one of the first of the many disastrous fail- 
ures of the decade, a party of gentlemen at the 
Tremont House, Chicago, solaced their grief for ill- 
fortune by a game of whist. The play became very 
interesting, and lasted many hours. For the first 
time within the writer's knowledge honours were 
not counted ; and after that date the players made 
the game of seven points the game of Long Whist. 

Within these twenty years just past the Ameri- 
can claim for the lead of first ace then k., if no 
more of the suit are held ; of k. then kn., from the 
four honours ; and of the 9 when k. and kn. and not 
ace or queen are held, — has been established. 

We claim, as an American invention, the 9 des- 
ignating k. and kn. surely held ; but we are aware 
that in Mathews' time these cards were never 
regarded as equivocal. "Good players," says 
Mathews, "never lead a 9 or 10 but for one of 
three reasons : (1) from sequence to k. ; (2) from 



1 8 Whist Universal. 

9, 10, kn., and k. ; (3) when the best of a weak 
suit not exceeding three in number." 

It is an astonishing and altogether unexplained, 
and as we believe unexplainable, circumstance 
that Cavendish considers the 9 an "equivocal" 
card. There is absolutely no reason for the asser- 
tion that he makes (p. 118). It is to be hoped that 
he will as gracefully abandon his argument as he 
has done in the matter of the penultimate play. 

The refusal to play qu. by second hand on kn. 
led, as per the long-time registry and direction of 
the English authorities, is strictly of American 
origin ; and such refusal made manifest, probably 
had much more influence in compelling Caven- 
dish to change his law than had any calculation 
by Dr. Pole. 

The invention of the signal after trumps are 
out, or rather the application of the trump-signal 
to inform partner of holding the third-best card 
in suit, is also American (p. 78). 

While all these improvements are applicable to 
either method (p. 20) of play, they are of greatest 
service in the genuine game to which they are 
specially adapted. 

The American Leads of Mr. Trist are the orders 
for original play of every leader, no matter what 
form of whist he favors ; and they take the place 



Inventions. 1 9 



of any other plan or regulation because they are 
systematic, and demonstrate a law which, if obeyed, 
exercises an instant control over every hand held. 

The cardinal advice of Mr. Clay, — "A golden 
maxim for whist is, that it is of more importance 
to inform your partner than to deceive your ad- 
versary," — would seem to have been in the mind 
of Mr. Trist during all his investigations and 
explanations about the most proper leads to be 
made. All these leads from the various combi- 
nations as distinguished from others will be found 
under The Lead. 

While the order for the third-hand play of 
unblocking is not literally an invention, the full 
direction for its management in all particulars, as 
furnished by Mr. Trist, is entitled to great regard 
(p. 67). 

The plain-suit echo, emphasized by Cavendish 
as a most valuable appurtenance, is a part of the 
system of Mr. Trist ( p. 140). 

The change that has come over the spirit of 
every whist-player's dream since the new system 
in its entirety has been introduced into American 
clubs and advocated by the historian, critic, and 
director of whist in London, is the greatest rec- 
ommendation of its excellence and the grandest 
compliment to its inventor. 



2o Whist Universal. 



THE THEEE METHODS. 

The clubs admit respectively three methods of 
whist-play, briefly called Short "Whist, Five-Point 
Whist, and Long Whist. The first named is Eng- 
lish, and is played with honours ; the second is a 
mongrel game, without honours; the third is Ameri- 
can, played for points alone. With the first, honours 
and points go to make the game, and the game to 
make the rubber ; with the second, five points by 
cards being made, the game is closed and goes 
toward the rubber ; with the third, every card in 
every hand is played, and every trick beyond six 
counts a point upon the game. A single game 
from the start in Short Whist may be finished 
when seven tricks are taken by a player and his 
partner, in Eive-Point Whist when eleven tricks 
are taken, and in Long Whist when the whole 
thirteen are taken. It will be seen that each of 
these methods should have its separate laws and 
order of play, since the rule under which a player 
holding four honours would play his cards to make 
but three more tricks, might not apply to him who 
with the same cards had eleven tricks to make, 



The Three Methods, 21 

and would be of no avail to one who must use all 
his cards to the best advantage for his own and 
his partner's hand. General orders however may- 
be understood and appreciated by players of the 
first two methods, while special directions must 
regulate the last. For instance, players of Short 
or of Five-Point Whist ask certain questions while 
the game is in progress, any one of which would 
disturb the calculations of a player who must 
carry information that the play has given him to 
the close of every hand. But there are certain 
principles that regulate the action of every player. 
There are certain leads, from specified cards proper 
to be made at the outset of every game. And 
while there are critical situations occurring in 
every rubber that is played wherein the brain- 
work of the player must be more potent than es- 
tablished rule affecting his particular act, still he 
must understand the system within which others 
move, if he would take the highest advantage 
in reference to his own proposed finesse. 



22 Whist Universal. 



THE LEAD. 

The trump turned on his right, it becomes the 
privilege and duty of the player to throw the card 
that in a majority of instances is to be regarded 
by partner and adversary as the exponent of his 
strength. 

Drayson says, "The original lead is an easy 
thing ; " and again, " The correct lead ought to be 
learned in one or two hours." We forgive the 
statement in the impulsive man who says he 
"once lost thirty-five rubbers in succession!' and 
at another time, " If I was to enumerate the num- 
ber of rubbers I have seen lost by one player 
weak in trumps refusing to force his partner, I 
should count tliem by thousands." 

Dr. Pole while italicizing the declaration that 
"the first lead is by far the most important one in 
the whole hand" requires nor time nor study to 
ascertain what that lead shall be. "Whenever 
you have five trumps whatever they are, or what- 
ever the other components of your hand, you should 
lead them ; " and if you have not five trumps, his 



The Lead. 23 



great theory demands that " you lead from your 
longest suit." 

It happens that neither Drayson nor Pole ever 
understood what card was proper to lead upon 
principle from that longest suit. It also happens 
that the longest suit may not be the most eligible 
one from which to lead. 

It may be very impolitic to lead trumps, though 
you hold five or six or seven. Cavendish illustrates 
a game wherein if the leader holding seven trumps 
leads one of them he must lose the odd card. If, 
properly judging his hand and knowing that he 
should throw the lead, he plays from a plain suit, 
he must make the odd card. 

"Let no written rule get the better of your 
judgment in the matter of managing either a pe- 
culiar or a commanding hand." 

If, however, it is correct from the hand you 
hold (and it almost always will be correct) to lead 
from a long suit, "a most valuable mode," says 
Cavendish, "of conveying very precise informa- 
tion of strength is within the reach of players 
who think fit to adopt American Leads." And 
he adds: "It may be stated that they form a 
beautiful system, which is in full harmony with 
the established principles of whist-play." 



24 Whist Universal, 



OEDEE OF LEADS. 

The analysis of leads that follows presents the cor- 
rect play from the several combinations specified. 

From the Ace. 

Holding Ace and K. — In either trumps or 
plain suit lead ace, then k. Your partner will 
understand you have no more of the suit. If 
trumps are played, they signify to partner, on get- 
ting the lead, to draw two for one. By the play 
in plain suit a call for trumps is noted; partner 
is told that leader is ready to trump the suit 
on its return, if partner has not the best; the 
leader also states he has not a valuable long suit, 
but will play partner's game. 

Ace, K., Qu. — In trumps lead qu., then ace ; for 
if on second lead you play k., you designate ace 
and others. In plain suit k, then qu. 

Ace, K., Qu., En. — In trumps lead kn., then ace, 
then k. If on third lead you play qu., the lowest 
indifferent card, you designate more than the king 
in hand. In plain suit lead k., then kn., for that 



Order of Leads. 25 

informs of ace and qu. If your third play is ace, 
the highest indifferent card, you have the qu. and 
no more ; if qu., you have more of the suit 

Ace, K., Qu., and others. — In trumps lead qu., 
then k., then ace. There are more trumps in 
hand. In plain suits lead k, then qu. 

Ace, K., Kn., and two or more. — Lead k., follow 
with ace, and know by the fall of the cards what 
next to play. 

Ace, K., Kn., and another. — Lead k., play from 
another suit, and wait return of this to finesse kn. 
if you think best, in case partner does not play 
qu. back to you. 

Ace, K., Kn. — Lead k. either in trumps or 
plain suit, then lead from another suit. If part- 
ner has qu., when he has the play he will lead it 
back. Take the qu. and return kn. If in trumps 
partner had four originally, he will inform you by 
throwing one lower than he played on your k. led. 
If your lead was in plain suit, he can call by the 
same play if he wishes trumps led. 

Ace, K., 10, or 9, and others. — In trumps lead 
k. ; if you do not follow with ace, lead original 
fourth best, or wait return play. If in plain suit, 



26 Whist Universal. 

and you are strong in trumps, play a trump for 
second lead 

Ace, K., and five others (or more). — K., then 
ace. 

Ace, K., and three or four others. — In trumps 
it may be best for your plain suits that you have 
three rounds. If so, play k, then ace, then an- 
other. But if you require to keep command of 
trumps, play k., then original fourth best. 

Ace, K., and two others. — In trumps, the 
lowest ; in plain suit k, then ace. 

Ace, K., and one other. — K., then ace. It 
seldom happens that you are required to lead 
originally from a suit containing only three cards ; 
you must have at least one suit of four. This 
suit may be trumps, and the rest of the hand may 
be in threes. In such case you must choose from 
which three your play had best be made. 

Ace, Qu., Kn., 10, 9. — Ace, then 10, to show 
exactly two cards better than the second lead. 

Ace, Qu., Kn., 10, with or without others. — Ace, 
then 10. With more than four in suit, after 10 
lead kn. ; with four, lead qu. 



Order of Leads. 27 

Ace, Qu., En., and two or more. — Ace, then kn. 
This shows qu., and denies k. in hand. 

Ace, Qu., Kn., and one more. — Ace, then qu. 
This shows kn. and but one more of the suit, 
denying k. 

Ace, Qu., 10, 9, with or without others. — Ace, 
then 9. The order in Short Whist was, and with 
some players now is, the 9 ; but in the last edi- 
tion of Cavendish he carefully omits the special 
lead. It is false play (see p. 120), The ace and 
then original fourth best is correct. 

Cavendish at the close of his ace leads, in his 
sixteenth edition, says : " Lead lowest with only 
four in suit (with ace at the head), the cards being 
of lower denomination than in the leads already 
enumerated." But these cards are not of a lower 
denomination, and they are of sufficient conse- 
quence to demand attention as a special lead. 

Ace, Qu., 10, and others. — Ace, then original 
fourth best. This is a double tenace, and, not un- 
like some other suits in tenaces, should not be led 
if without bad play another lead can be made ; but 
we are presuming that from the suit the lead must 
be made. 



28 Whist Universal. 

Ace, Qu , 10, 9, 8. — Ace, then 9, showing exactly 
two higher. K. will make in any event if with 
one or more on the left. 

Ace, Qu., and five or more. — Ace, then the origi- 
nal fourth best. 

Ace, Qu., and three or four. — In trumps, the 
original fourth best unless it be the 9; in that 
case lead ace, then 9. In plain suit, ace, then 
original fourth best. 

Ace, Qu., and two others. — The lowest card. 
Do not refuse to lead from this tenace, unless you 
have another good lead. 

Ace, Qu., 9 only. — It will not happen with this 
combination but that there will be some other in 
the hand from which to lead originally. The 9 
must not be led ; if the suit must be played, lead 
ace. 

Ace, Qu., and one other below the 9. — The low- 
est card ; for if this lead must be made, the ace had 
best be held up. 

Ace, Qu. — Ace; but as an original lead there 
can hardly be a call for this play. 

Ace, Kn., 10, 9, with or without others. In trumps 
or plain suit, ace, then 9. This is another lead 



Order of Leads. 29 

heretofore falsely played in some cases, but now in 
special lead omitted from the order in Cavendish. 
In former editions of "Laws and Principles" he 
has advocated the lead of the 9, and he does not 
now cancel the statement that it is an equivocal 
card. He also calls this lead of the 9 on this com- 
bination in "Whist Developments," and it may 
be that in his instructions to lead the lowest from 
four in suit he means this quartette shall be in- 
cluded. (See The 9, p. 118). 

Ace, Kn., 10. — Ace, then 10. The 10 led would 
provoke second hand holding k, qu., and others to 
pass (but see p. 49). 

Ace, Kn., 10, and one other. — The low card. 

Ace, Kn., and more than two. — Ace, then origi- 
nal fourth best. 



Ace, Kn., and one below the 9. — The lowest 
the tenace had best be held. 



Ace, Kn., 9. j Do not lead from originally. (See 
Ace, 10, 9. ) Ace, Qu., 9.) 

Ace, and six below the kn. — Ace, then original 
fourth best. 

Ace, and five smaller than kn. — In trumps, the 
fourth best; in plain suits, ace. 



30 Wktst Universal. 

Ace, and four smaller than kn. — In trumps, the 
fourth best; in plain suits, the ace. 

Ace, and three small. — The lowest. The Pari- 
sian play is ace. 

Ace and two small. —The low card (generally). 

From the King. 

Holding K., Qu., Kn., 10. — There has been more 
disagreement in regard to the proper lead from 
this combination than from any other. The Long- 
Whist player insists upon his conventional play 
from this (as he considers it) decidedly conventional 
lead. He leads k. to be taken by anybody's ace, 
but by his partner's certainly if he has but one 
more of the suit, and not by him if he has more. 
He insists that he better reads his partner's hand 
to guide his after play. His next lead is the qu. 
if he has but kn. and 10 remaining ; kn. if he has 
one beside, and 10 if he has more than one. 

The English play holds to its original order of 
the 10, but varies its play if 10 forces ace to qu. 
next, to show qu. in hand. It thus conforms to the 
new order of American Leads, that calls for fourth 
best originally where ace is not played, followed, if 
ace is forced, by kn. when k, qu., and more are held, 
and by qu. when only k., kn., are held. This distin- 



Order of Leads. . 3 1 

guishes lead and play and inference from the lead 
of the 10 when k. and kn. are held, without the qu., 
as high cards. We believe the Long Whist con- 
ventional play is the best, but give them both in 
detail. 

The Long- Whist lead is — play k. ; if ace falls 
and you hold two small cards of the suit, play 10 ; 
if only one, play kn. ; if the suit was quart to k, 
play qu. second lead. If you originally lead the 
10, and partner has none of the suit and but small 
trumps, he might trump what could be the head 
of a sequence (for the 10 is played at head of 
sequence, or at head of three in Long Whist). A 
few of the Long-Whist players follow the Ameri- 
can Lead adopted by Cavendish for Short- Whist 
play. Lead 10; if ace falls, qu. and kn. are indif- 
ferent cards. If the second lead is the qu., leader 
holds k., kn., only; if the kn., he holds one or 
more small cards. The k. of course is not an 
indifferent card ; but if the 10 wins the trick, k., 
qu., and kn. are all indifferent cards. Now, if the 
k. is the second lead, the leader has but qu. and 
kn ; if the qu. is the second lead, he has a small 
card ; if the kn., he has more than one. 

K , Qu., Kn., and more than one. — Lead kn. ; 
second lead, with more than five, qu. ; with five, k. 



32 Whist Universal. 

K., Qu., Kn., and one small. — K., then kn. if k. 
wins, and not the small one, for the ace may be 
held up. Fourth hand holding ace, 10, and an- 
other, would not play ace on k led, especially in 
tramps. 

K., Qu., Kn. — K. ; if it takes, qu. 

K., Qu., and small ones. — In trumps, fourth 
best ; in plain suits, k. If there are seven in all, 
in trumps lead k. and then fourth best. 

K., Qu., and two. — In trumps, the lowest ; in 
plain suits, k. 

K., Qu., and one. — K. if it wins, the small 
one; for if opponents have ace and kn., they will 
make them; if they have not, it is fair to leave 
the chance to partner of holding one of them. 

K. f Qu. — K. 

K., Kn., 10, 9, with or without others. — 9, in 
trumps and plain suits. If the 9 wins, with more 
than four lead 10 ; with only four, kn. If 9 forces 
qu., or qu. and ace, with more than five lead 10 ; 
with five, kn. ; with four, k. If 9 forces ace but 
not qu., lead k. Third lead, with more than 
four originally, 10 ; with four, kn. (See The 9, 
p. 118). 



Order of Leads. 33 

K., En, 10, with one or more small. — In tramps, 
lead kn ; in plain suits, lead 10. If 10 wins, the 
original fourth best ; if 10 forces qu., or qu. and 
ace, with more than four in suit lead kn. ; with 
four, lead k. If the 10 forces ace and not qu., 
lead k. The kn. in trumps is the distinguishing 
Parisian lead. 

K., Kn., and others. — Original fourth best. 

K., Kn., 9. — With or without any or all others, 
but without ace or qu., lead 9. 

K , 10, and others. — Original fourth best. 

K., 10, 9. — If led, play k. (But see Ace, Qu., 9.) 

K. and four or five. — Fourth best. 

K. and three. — The lowest. 

K. and two. — The lowest generally, but not if 
it is the 9. 

K. and one. — K. 

In trumps, the lead of k. from k. and qu. de- 
clares six or seven, or the 10 in hand. If kn. 
and ace fall to the first trick, qu. and 10 are in- 
different cards; and if 10 is next led, the original 
lead was from more than four trumps. 
3 



34 Whist Universal. 

From the Queen. 

Holding Qu., Kn., 10, 9. — Qu., then 9 ; if more 
than four in suit, 10 after 9 ; with only four, kn. 

Qu., Kn., 10, and others. — Qu. ; second lead, 10 
if more than four, kn. if only four. 

Qu., Kn., 9, and two others. — Qu. 

Qu., Kn., 9, and one other. — Lowest. 

Qu. and two others. — Qu. Qu. and two, kn. 
and two, or 10 and two, the higher card is the 
better play ; the leader is more likely to help the 
partner in the suit, and if a small card is led he is 
deceived in the number held. Some players are 
decided in the matter that from three the highest 
had best be led, even from ace and k. In a lead 
from either of these cards, the partner must wait 
developments to show the meaning of the play. 

From the Knave. 

Kn., 10, 9, and others. — Head of sequence. If 
there were but four in suit, lead 10 second ; if more 
than four, lead 9. 

Kn. and three others. — Smallest. 

Kn. and two others. — Kn. 



Order of Leads. 35 



Feom the 10, 9, or 8. 

The 10 led signifies k., kn., and others, and in 
Short Whist quart to the k. (See From the King.) 
In Long Whist it is led from k, kn., with or with- 
out others (not the 9), at the head of sequence, or 
as best of three ; the latter play is seldom made as 
an original lead. 

The 9 is led in Short Whist as per Cavendish, 
from many combinations. (See The 9, p. 118.) 
In Long Whist the 9 is led for the single purpose 
of indicating the presence of k. and kn. As an 
original lead it always has this meaning. 

The 8 is led as a fourth-best card, or as the low- 
est of four. Neither the 8 nor any lower card is 
led at head of sequence originally, unless from a 
very peculiarly constructed hand. Any card lower 
than the 8 may be the original lead of the player, 
who will always hold exactly three cards of the 
suit higher than the one led. 



36 Whist Universal. 

Any one of the foregoing leads, it is supposed, 
may be the original one by an original leader. 
Any one of them is of course to "be chosen as the 
first lead of any other j)layer ; but he is to regard 
what has been played, and he may have less 
reason than the first player for making a conven- 
tional or systematic lead. 

The leads suppose a small card turned. They 
suppose a necessity exists for the lead from a 
given suit held, as the best opening play. In 
their continuation they suppose that no player 
has renounced upon the first round. 

If a lead is to be made up to a trump turned, it 
is proper to play a card that will take it, if none 
higher should be thrown. 

For instance, — holding ace, qu., 10, etc., kn. 
turned, lead qu. With k., kn., 9, etc., 10 turned, 
lead kn. With qu., kn., 9, the 10 turned, lead qu., 
— which is better than kn., because partner will 
give you kn. in hand ; but if you throw kn. he 
would not give you qu. With kn., 10, 8, the 9 
turned, lead kn. If you are to lead through an 
honour turned on the left, it is not essential that 
the card should be as high as that turned if there 
are probabilities of partner holding one higher. 
Holding kn. sequence, k. or qu. turned on the 
left, lead kn. 






Order of Leads. 37 

Should an honour be turned on the right, and the 
leader would have trumps out, he should not hesi- 
tate to lead up to it. If it must make, let him 
require it to do so as soon as possible. If how- 
ever he holds tenace over it, and can soon enough 
call the play of a trump from partner, very well ; 
and whenever a qu. or kn. is so turned, a good 
partner weak in trumps will be on the lookout for 
such call. When therefore a high card (not an 
ace) is turned on the leader's right, and the first 
player throws a low card of a plain suit, the 
leader's partner, holding but one or two trumps, 
will take the trick if he can and play a high card, 
to give original leader the opportunity to call. 
When the means for making tricks or game are 
in the leader's hand, he should attempt to direct 
and control the play, and a good partner will sac- 
rifice his own hand to help the result. 

It does not follow that because a player holds 
many trumps, he should lead a trump. It may 
or may not be best. There is no regularity in 
hands at whist; they are everlastingly excep- 
tional. There is not one hand in ten held by a 
good player by the proper management of which 
he does not make, or help to make, the one trick 
that could have been lost. There is not one hand 
in ten held by an ordinary player by the im- 



38 Whist Universal. 



proper management of which he does not lose, or 
help to lose, the one trick that could have been 
gained. Tor whist is a game played hand after 
hand for one trick that is made or lost in each 
hand ; all the rest might be taken, let the cards 
that are dealt be played (so that no revokes are 
made) with any form of lead and follow. A hand 
of many trumps may be played so that the k. or 
qu. will make, while the 7 or 6 will be lost. If 
the 7 or 6 ought not by correct play to have been 
lost, there is very much more blame to be attached 
to the play that loses that card than credit to the 
play that makes the trick with an honour. 

Dr. Pole's plan of always leading trumps from 
five is obsolete. We have better play. Again, 
the lead from the longest suit may be suicidal. A. 
held the ace and k. of spades, the 10 and five 
small hearts, three little clubs, and the kn. and 8 
of diamonds, 10 of diamonds turned. If A. had 
led a heart he would have forced his partner and 
lost the game. He threw ace of spades, then k. ; 
B. called ; A. played kn. of diamonds, which took ; 
he followed with 8. B. took with qu. and forced 
with spade, trumped ace of hearts (led from ace, 
qu., kn., etc.), drew k. and thirteenth trump with 
ace, and made remaining spades and game, the 
four honours in hearts and in clubs against him. 






Order of Leads. 39 

A trump-lead, k, qu. or kn. at the head of the 
suit and not in sequence, or it may be with two in 
sequence, will usually depend upon the skill of the 
player for success. The general player with many 
trumps headed as above almost always loses a 
trick. The careful watch of the cards with infer- 
ences as to what is held in each hand is a neces- 
sity. The cards that fall upon the original fourth- 
best led (whether the first or second lead) are the 
guides by which a skilful player will sometimes 
make every other trick in the suit. 

Though conventional and systematic leads are 
ordered as the best that can be devised, they are 
subject to the judgment of the player. Excep- 
tional hands demand exceptional treatment. Usu- 
ally, some one of the plays in the analysis is the 
best to be made as an original lead. Usually too, 
when the next player has the lead, one of the 
leads of record is the best for him to make. But 
the constantly recurring beautiful problem in 
whist is the necessity for new-made calculation. 
A man who merely plays pictures holding ace and 
k. and others of a suit, throws the k. and then the 
ace ; and if he finds a call is made by partner, he 
leads a trump. If he sees no call he is relieved 
from further responsibility, and takes or relin- 
quishes what follows with a smile if the biggest 



40 Whist Universal. 

picture is held by himself or partner, or with a 
sigh if it is not. It is true that wherever the high 
cards are held there must the tricks he gathered ; 
but there will be difference in the number of those 
tricks, or especially in the manner of their being 
taken, dependent upon the education of the player. 
Whist must be played by brain power. 

It was natural that when the system of Amer- 
ican Leads was proposed in England, the opposi- 
tion to its adoption should be violent and sincere. 
It is not strange that there were a great many 
second-class players in this country who believed 
(and perhaps they still believe) that whatever 
was said or done by persons on the other side of 
the water must take preference of anything that 
could be said or done on this side. But it hap- 
pens that the best players, here and there, saw at 
once the value of the system. There were, there 
are, obstinate objectors to its domination. They 
say that the game is complicated by its use. They 
do not tell wherein, and it would be a difficult task 
to make good- the assertion, since the American 
system requires only — (1) That the leader holds 
exactly three cards higher than the low card led ; 
(2) That if he leads a high card and then a low 
one, he has exactly two cards higher than his 
second lead ; and (3) That having led a high card, 



Order of Leads. 41 

when following with another high one he plays 
the highest of two equally good if he has but four 
cards of the suit, and the lowest of the two if he 
has five. 

In the words of Cavendish, " All an American 
leader asks his partner to observe is — 

1. That when he originally leads a low card he 

holds exactly three of the suit higher than 
the card led. 
Exam-pie. A. holds qu., 10, 8, 6, 3, 2 ; he leads 
the 6. 

2. That when he originally leads a high card and 

then a low one, he still holds exactly two cards 

higher than the second card led. 
Example. A. holds ace, kn., 9, 7, 4; he leads ace, 

then 7. 
' 3. That when he originally leads a high card and 

follows it with a high card, he indicates in 

many cases to any one who knows the analysis 

of leads, as every whist-player ought, whether 

his strong suit consisted of four or more than 

four cards. 
Example. A. holds kn., 10, 9, 7, 6 ; he leads kn., 

then 9; or, A. holds kn., 10, 9, 7; he leads kn., 

then 10." 

It would seem as if the above directions were 
as free from complication as any plan that can be 
named. 



42 Whist Universal 

There was another weak objection ; namely, that 
they seldom affect the result. They are not in- 
tended or expected any more to change the rela- 
tive value of the cards in play than they are to 
change the cards that are held. " They only 
consolidate,'* says Cavendish, " the received prac- 
tice, and extend a law of uniformity to cases not 
previously provided for.'* 

There was a third objection. It was that the 
information afforded may be of more use to the 
opponents than to the leader's partner. 

Of course it may, and so may any play at any 
time. This last objection is perhaps no weaker 
than either of the other two ; but it is of no avail, 
for whist is a game in which the leader's business 
is to tell his partner by the cards all that he can 
tell of what he holds. He is not to consider that 
other people do or do not understand. In fact, he 
plays best who is able by his play to impart the 
most information. 

This most admirable system of American Leads 
may be used to greatest advantage by players of 
Short, Mongrel, and Long Whist ; the objections 
to it being invalid, it must come into universal 
use. It will be proper to remember that even as 
the card turned is the trump that influences the 
play of the entire hand, so the card that is first led 



Order of Leads. 43 

is the demonstration of the leader's purpose. It 
begins the attack; it notifies the opponents that 
notwithstanding what is shown by the dealer it 
is the suit, whether trumps or not, which is the 
leader's best, of which he intends either to keep 
the control or which he means to establish. In 
this regard Cavendish says : " It should be borne 
in mind that American Leads in their integrity 
assume not merely an original lead but the original 
lead of the hand, — the very first lead of all. When 
a player obtains the lead for the first time, after 
one or more tricks have been played, he may open 
his strong suit in the same way as though he were 
the original leader. On the other hand he may 
deem it advisable to open a weak suit, or to lead 
through a strong one or up to a weak one, or if 
great strength in trumps has been declared against 
him, may wish to conceal the fact that his best 
suit is only a very long one of small cards ; or if 
late in the hand, he may conclude that the time 
for precise exhibition of strength is past and gone. 
These, however, are matters of judgment, for which 
no hard and fast rule can be laid down." 

To sum up the matter of the first lead. Gener- 
ally lead from the strongest suit. If it consists of 
five or more and is not one of specified or distinct 
combination (p. 24), and is headed by the ace, lead 



44 Whist Universal. 

the ace and then the original fourth test If it is 
headed by the king from k., qu., and small ones, 
lead the 7c. ; if it takes, lead the original fourth test 
If it is headed by the king, and the next cards are 
kn. and 10, then small ones, lead the 10 ; and if it 
takes, lead the original fourth hest. If it is k., kn., 
10, 9, etc., lead the 9 ; and if it takes, lead one of 
the high cards, according to the number to be speci- 
fied composing the suit. If it is headed by the k. 
in any other combination, lead the original fourth 
best ; and so of any other series that form a part 
of a hand. 

The secret of the value of the lead according to 
the newly adopted plan lies in the fact that the 
leader at once communicates with his partner as 
to the formation of his hand. The old-time leader 
for instance, holding ace, kn., 8, 7, 3, 2, led the 
ace and then the 2, perhaps the 3. The partner 
knew that was his best suit, and that was all ; 
he did not know of what cards it was composed. 
Now, the leader plays ace and then the 7. He 
must have two cards of that suit higher than the 
7. The fall of the cards and the suit of his own 
hand inform the partner what those two cards 
are. 

One more example, that this matter may be as 
clear as possible. The leader holding ace, kn., 8, 



Order of Leads. 45 

7, 6, iii trumps would lead the 7 (there must be 
three higher) ; in plain suits, the ace and then the 
7 (there must be two higher). 

In connection with this order for the lead we 
call special attention to the one best original, 
because the most informatory, play that can be 
made, the leader holding k., kn., 10, 9, with or 
without small ones, and quote the order of 
Cavendish concerning it, in full : — 

" Lead 9, even though you hold the 8. 

(a) If 9 wins the trick, — 

With more thanirw in suit, lead 10 after 9. 
With only "fe^ft in suit, lead knave after 9. 

(b) If 9 forces qu. or both qu. and ace, — 

With more than five in suit, lead 10 after 9. 
With five in suit, lead knave after 9. 
With only four in suit, lead king after 9. 

(c) If 9 forces ace but not qu., king must be 

led after 9. Then (third lead) with more 
than four in suit originally, lead 10 after 
king. 
With only four in suit, lead knave after king." 

" No doubt," says Cavendish, " moderate players 
may lack the quick perception which would en- 
able them to take full advantage of the American 
rules. This is no reason why better players should 
be deprived of that advantage." 



46 Whist Universal. 

The one reason why there are so many " moder- 
ate players " is simply because they are content to 
remain as they are. A man never rises above 
mediocrity in whist who has not brains to com- 
prehend its mode of management, and disposition 
to study it in detail. The " moderate player," 
ever ready to get in his little trump, explain the 
status of his hand, and hurry up the instant play 
that there may be another deal, will continue to 
be the " moderate" player, firm in the belief that 
he understands the game and that he plays it. 



Objections. 47 



OBJECTIONS. 

We follow the Analysis of the Order with a 
synopsis of prohibitions in the matter of original 
leads ; and inasmuch as the player is to exercise 
his judgment as to whether it is or is not proper 
for him to accept an ordered lead, so whenever it 
becomes a necessity, he will make some one of 
these objectionable plays. 

.Do not lead from a double tenace, especially if 
you can induce the play of the suit to come up to 
you. 

Do not lead from a major tenace if you have a 
lead that may benefit but cannot deceive partner. 

Do not lead, unless very strong in suits, from 
three trumps, or even four, for the purpose of ex- 
hausting trumps. The lead of trumps after they 
have been played by partner or adversary, or after 
a trick or tricks have been trumped by either 
party, must depend upon conditions which the 
player will understand ; but an original lead from 
three trumps may give the opponents a game that 
by other play could have been made by the leader. 



48 Wkist Universal. 

Players of three trumps at the start sometimes 
quote the "rash trump-leading" of Deschapelles. 
They do not consider that he always felt his way be- 
fore making his trump-lead, and judging by what 
cards fell and what had fallen, forced two rounds 
of trumps for the benefit of his after-play. 

Do not lead the highest of four cards, except in 
sequence, unless it be the ace of trumps on your 
first lead upon your partner's call. The exceptions 
to this direction are — when you play the Descha- 
pelles coup, or when an ace is led by you purposely 
to apprise partner of its situation, or to make a 
trick, opponents having thrown away from the suit. 
The Parisians lead ace at head of four in plain suits. 
Of course the lead with us at times is allowable, 
especially if the second lead can be the 2, for then 
the leader can have held no more than four. 

Do not lead lowest of three cards, excepting 
k., kn., 10, or k., kn., 9, unless ace or k. is the best 
of the three, and not then if the lowest card is the 
10 or 9. 

Do not lead from ace or k. and one other, except 
in sequence. 

Do not lead from any two cards except ace and 
king. 

Do not lead from three cards, the highest lower 
than knave. 



Objections. 49 



Do not lead a low card with qu. or kn. heading 
the three, but lead the highest. 

Do not lead a singleton unless it be the ace of 
trumps. 

Do not lead a 9 unless you have k. and kn., and 
not ace or qu. 

Do not lead a 10 at the head of three, unless in 
sequence of three. The requirement to lead this 
card at the head of three is very occasional. 

Do not lead the 9 as the lowest of any four 
except k, kn., 10, 9. (See The 9). 

Do not lead ace at the head of four unless you 
have the deuce to use for second lead, explaining 
the situation. 

Do not lead from three cards, two of which form 
a high tenace, — for instance, ace, kn., and an- 
other, or ace, 10, and another. If the lead must be 
made, it may occur at a time when the ace had 
best at once take a trick; perhaps, however, you 
can afford to hold the tenace ; the lead must be 
one of judgment. 

Do not lead from ace, kn., 10. If the lead must 
be made, play ace that you may not deceive part- 
ner ; he holding either k. or qu., would play nei- 
ther on 10 led, and so either in fourth hand would 
make. Second hand holding k., qu., and others 
would not pass 10 led at the time in the play in 
4 



50 Whist Universal, 

which it would be likely to be thrown ; for ace and 
kn. would both be believed to be in third or fourth 
hand, and the queen second hand would probably 
not be a losing play upon a lead shown to be 
enforced, and would insure command of the Suit. 
This especially if trumps are exhausted. 

Do not lead originally from a suit of three, if you 
have a suit of four, plain suit. A hand so evenly 
divided you will probably play for partner's bene- 
fit, and you had best show him by negative action 
toward the other suits that you are not strong in 
them. 



Second Hand. 51 



SECOND HAND. 

The " moderate " second-hand player, according 
to Cavendish, has little to do, — nothing indeed, but 
to throw his lowest card. But this is not always 
whist. Second hand not only has duties to per- 
form, but may be of great avail, and at once. A 
general order belongs to each hand held, — to the 
first, play from your master suit; to the second, 
play your lowest card ; to the third, play your 
highest card; and to the fourth, play whatever 
will take the trick. The rule is positive; the 
exceptions are powerful. 

" The reasons for the play of a low card by you, 
the immediate follow of the lead, when you can 
play a higher card than the one thrown, are, — 
first, the leader has probably good cards or a long 
suit, and you may make efficient your high card 
in an after-play, should he finesse upon a return 
lead ; second, third hand will play his best card if 
needed, and if it takes your best you have played 
to no purpose ; third, there are two players to fol- 
low you, and your partner's play may strengthen 
your position ; fourth, by the play of the low card 



52 Whist Universal. 

on a lead upon which your left-hand opponent 
will play a high one, you on his lead of any suit 
become last player." 1 

But the commonly received opinion by the or- 
dinary player that the second hand is of small 
consequence, since third or fourth hand must de- 
termine the result of the round, is challenged by 
the following exceptions to the lowest-card play : 

1. When holding a double sequence or a tierce 
sequence of the suit. 

2. When holding a double tenace. 

3. If a 9 is led, and you hold qu. and one, or 
10 and others. 

4. If you desire to begin a call for trumps. 

5. If you hold a fourchette. 

6. If you hold ace of a suit of which kn. is 
led. 

7. If you hold a combination from which a 
-certain card must win, the card led proclaiming 
the combination in the leader's hand. 

8. When you hold the k., or the qu., and one 
more in trumps led. 

9. When the lead is your own strong suit, and 
you can stop its play and wait for a finesse. 

10. When you can take the trick and keep 
the command. 

1 AroericaD Whist, eighth edition, p. 56. 



Second Hand. 53 



11. When holding two cards, the one a high 
one, the other the next below the lead. 

12. If a 10 is led, and you hold qu. and one 
more. 

13. When holding k., qu., 9., and others, knave 
led, you care to insist upon the play of the ace if 
in third hand. 

14. When planning any description of finesse 
upon the very first lead of the hand. 

To show the influence of the second-hand play, 
it will be proper to explain the value of these 
exceptions to the conventional play of the low 
card. 

1. If you do not play the lowest of the se- 
quence, a lower card than one of that sequence 
may be played third hand, and your partner's best 
card of the suit, perhaps the ace, required to take 
the trick. Suppose the 3 of hearts is led. You 
hold qu., km, 4. If you throw the 4, hoping that 
k. may fall third, and ace fourth, third hand in- 
stead plays 10, forcing your partner's ace. Had 
you played the km, you would not only have 
taken the trick, but from your partner's under-play 
lead might have made three tricks in the suit. 
Again, you hold 10, 9, 6. The lead is the 5 from 
qu., km, 7, 5. If you play the 6, third hand the 
8, the trick costs your partner's k. If you throw 



54 Whist Universal. 

the 9, third hand will play the 2, and your part- 
ner the 4, — holding the other two tricks with ace 
and king. 

2. Holding ace, qu., 10, and another upon a 
small card led, play either qu. or 10, usually the 
qu. ; for you are left with a strong tenace. But the 
10 is the proper play if you are strong in trumps. 

3. If in this case you hold double tenace, play 
10, as k. and kn. must be in leader's hand; for 
if he plays the best whist, he will never lead 
originally a 9 unless he holds those cards. Hold- 
ing qu. and one more, play qu. ; with two or more, 
pass the 9 ; holding 10 and others, play the 10. 
An after-play of a lower card in the suit is not a 
call for trumps. 

4. Play an unnecessarily high card, the best of 
two small ones if you can do so. Partner will see 
a 4 and afterward a 3 as readily as first a kn. 
and then a 5. Moreover there is less chance for 
the opponents to notice a small card thrown ; and 
you must compliment your partner's observance 
by non-demonstration. 

5. If a 10 is led, and you hold kn., 9, and an- 
other, the lead is a forced original one from the 
highest of three: play the kn.; it forces third hand, 
may benefit your partner, and does you no harm. 
Again, if a qu. is led, and you hold k., kn., and 6, 



Second Hand. 55 

play k. ; for if you bring the ace from third hand 
you have command, if it is with partner you 
make three tricks. Fourchettes are seldom held 
against the original suit of the original leader, but 
sometimes against the enforced lead of an after- 
player. 

6. The knave as an original lead is from k, qu., 
kn., and two cards, when of course ace is your 
proper play ; or from kn. at the head of sequence, 
upon which you also play ace unless you hold the 
k. or k. and qu. besides. Holding ace and qu., 
play ace. It is folly to play qu., as the k. must 
be behind you. 

The old rule of Cavendish printed in the revised 
tenth edition, and in editions following, was, " If 
an honour is led, and you have a higher honour 
and numerical weakness, cover it." This order 
continued to be obeyed until in " American Whist " 
it was rebuked as follows : " If kn. is led, and you 
have qu. and small ones, it is useless to play qu. ; 
for neither ace nor k. is on your right, while 10 
and 9 may be there. If you play qu., C. k., and 
B. ace, you have gained the trick indeed, but you 
would have had it if you had not sacrificed qu., 
and you have established D.'s suit. If you hold 
k., qu., and others, you do not play qu. on kn., for 
D. has not ace, and either C. or B. will take the 



56 Whist Universal. 

knave." Cavendish now tells us, " It was formerly 
the practice to cover an honour with an honour, 
if numerically weak. Calculation shows more is 
gained than lost in the long run by passing." 
Whose calculation ? In " Whist Developments " 
he says, "As regards covering queen with k., or kn. 
with qu, Dr. Pole's calculations have demonstrated 
that it is more advantageous to pass, even with 
numerical weakness." 

We respectfully submit that the statement 
quoted from " American Whist " was printed long 
before Dr. Pole made his " calculations," that com- 
mon-sense and not algebraical ingenuity is 
alone requisite to show the folly of the English- 
ordered play, and that any " calculations " con- 
cerning it are of equal value with a mathematical 
demonstration by Dr. Pole that the sun is farther 
than the moon from the earth. 

7. Holding ace, k, 10, 4. The 8 led, play the 
10 ; it must take the trick. 

8. The k. or qu. will make then or probably 
not at all, since the leader holding three, four, or 
five small ones with ace will lead fourth-best 
card ; and you also run an equal chance between 
third hand and partner. 

9. Holding ace, k, kn., and others, play k. ; ace 
and kn. will eventually make. 



Second Hand. 



57 



10. Holding ace, k., and several more, take with 
k. and do not play the suit. 

11. Holding k. and 7, the 8 led, there is no avail 
in keeping k. 

12. The play of the qu. may save the partner's 
ace. 

13. Third hand may have ace and two small 
ones, and decline to take the knave unless forced 
to do so. 

14. Finesse in whist begins anywhere, and at 
any time. You may desire at the outset to block 
the leader's game, or to risk against third hand a 
card that will give you either lead or control. 

But these important plays by second hand are 
supplemented by those that demand the player's 
attention in the after-play. 

In the second round he is to play the winning 
card to gain the trick or help the partner, or to 
avoid doing so if it has been proved that third 
hand was weak, and not to do so in trumps if he 
holds well in them, especially if with winning 
cards. He is to finesse by trial, and on him rests 
all responsibility of the returned finesse. His 
play to save his partner is at times of greatest 
consequence. The trick that wins or loses the 
game is not infrequently for him to make. For 
instance : clubs led originally by D., from qu. and 



58 Wilis t Universal. 

three small ones. A. holds 10, 4, 2 ; A. plays 2, 
C. plays kn., and B. takes with k. Afterward, 
trumps exhausted, D. leading again plays another 
small club. If now second hand throws the 4, 
C. plays the 9 and draws the ace. If second hand 
plays 10 he takes the trick, and the ace may cap- 
ture qu. Good players, therefore, attach great 
importance to correct second-hand play. 



Analysis of Second Hand. 59 



ANALYSIS OF SECOND HAND. 

With the Ace. 

Holding ace, k., qu. — With or without others, 
play lowest of sequence. 

Ace, k., kn. — Play k. 

Ace, k., and others. — Play k. ; but in trumps, 
unless qu. is led, it is well to pass the lead. 

Ace, k., only. — Play k. 

Ace, qu., kn., and others. — Play lowest of 
sequence. 

Ace., qu., 10, and others. — Generally qu., but 
strength in trumps will determine if 10 had best 
be played. The card led will sometimes help the 
decision. For instance, with 9 led play 10 and 
hold the tenace over k. and kn. ; with 7 led play 
10, for the lead must be from k. or kn. In trumps 
play 10, for the larger tenace is the best to hold. 

Ace, qu., 10, only. — Play 10. 

Ace, qu„ and others. — Play a low card unless 
kn. is led, when play ace. It is poor play to cover 
with qu ; the leader cannot have k. The lead in 
Long Whist adopted from the Parisan code in 
trumps is kn. When holding k. and 10, one of 



60 Whist Universal. 

the leader's three cards will make ; therefore cover 
kn. with ace. Whether 10 or 9 is led, play qu. 

Ace, kn., 10, and others. — In plain suits a low 
card. The leader has not k. and qu. ; one at least 
of these cards is behind you. In trumps play 10, 
for then the leader may have both k. and qu. 

Ace and others. — If five in suit, play ace ; in 
trumps, a small card. The leader must have four, 
perhape five ; and in plain suit, if your partner does 
not take the trick, you passing, you may not make 
a trick in the suit. To save the ace from being 
trumped it had best be played upon the lead. In 
trumps holding a good plain suit, avoid the play of 
the ace even on the second round. 

With the King. 

Holding k., qu., kn. — Play lowest of sequence. 

K., qu., and others. — Generally play qu. ; in 
trumps, a low card. Having but three in suit, 
play qu. Pass the kn. led, unless you care to 
bring down ace if in third hand. 

K., kn., 10. — Lowest of sequence. 

K., kn., and others. — A low card, unless qu. is 
led. 

K., 10, and others. — A low card. 

K. and others. — A low card. 



Analysts of Second Hand. 61 

From either qu. or kn., or 10 or 9, play lowest of 
sequence or a low card, unless with a fourchette, 
or with only two in suit, risking the return of a 
trump from partner. 

Upon an honour led, play ace. Play no honour 
but the ace on either qu. or kn. led ; unless on kn. 
you play qu., holding 10, or on qu. you play k. 
holding kn., or holding ace and k. Upon a 10 
led, with qu. and but one more, play qu. If a 9 is 
led you cannot have k. or kn. ; but if you hold qu. 
and another, or 10 and another, play qu. or 10. If 
an 8 is led, and you have but k. and another, gen- 
erally play k. You must, if you can, read the 
three cards that are above the lead, that your 
second-hand play may take the trick with a small 
card, leaving you in command. For instance, hold- 
ing ace, k., kn., 8, the 7 led, the 8 will win. 

Do not generally play a high card if you have 
but one more, and that a small one. 

These plays suppose a low card led unless 
otherwise specified, and all the time the quality 
of that card must be considered. A 2 led is from 
three higher cards of the suit, while a 4 or 5 or G 
may be fourth best from live or more. The trump- 
card must be remembered, its quality and place, — 
that is, what it is and with whom, — if the lead is 
or is not the first one made in the hand, if you 



62 Whist Universal 

would be accurate in second-hand play. When- 
ever the order is for the kn. or 10, etc., played 
second, if you hold a sequence up to that card you 
play the lowest of that sequence. 

In the second round, and even in the third, if 
your partner has been playing the strong hand 
you are to consider every movement for his ad- 
vantage. He will know that you in helping him 
over first player are not calling for trumps. If 
he has called for or has played trumps, and you 
hold the winner and another, play the winner 
whatever it is, and give him the smaller card. If 
the opponent has called or played trumps, pass 
the card led for your partner's possible gain. 

The discard of the highest or next best of a suit 
that the second next lead may not be thrown into 
his hands ; the proper trumping of a suit in order 
to save the partner's trumps; the indication by 
his play of strength or weakness in the suit led ; 
the sounding of the echo to his partner's call, and 
the finesse which intentionally, or that which if 
unsuccessful, throws the lead for his advantage, — 
are opportunities that are offered second hand; 
and diligently to improve any of them, following 
directly as he must the play of right-hand adver- 
sary, asks for skill equal to that required of first 
or third hand player. 



Analysis of Second Hand. 63 

To those persons who imagine that second-hand 
play is plain because you have only to throw 
the lowest card, we commend the statement of 
Lassave concerning Deschapelles : " I had rather 
he would lead or play third hand than to be at 
my left when in an exigency I am to play. He 
plays second hand to win with it ; and he does win 
with it. His finesse is terrific." 



64 Whist Universal. 



THIED HAND. 

To the detail of third-hand play in accordance 
with the new system of American Leads, Caven- 
dish in copying the examples, illustrations, and 
arguments of Mr. Trist, devotes eighty pages of 
" Whist Developments." Referring players who 
desire to study game-openings to that analysis 
which with the illustrated hands and the referen- 
ces to them makes a volume of itself, we shall give 
the general order of play in manner sufficiently 
comprehensive to enable the student to understand 
the relationship between the lead and the duty of 
the leader's partner. In the first place it must be 
borne in mind that it is of the original lead of the 
original leader with which third hand is to deal 
throughout all the examples to which reference 
has been made. It is the business of third-hand 
player in all those instances to conform to the 
desire expressed by the lead of the first player to 
make for him his hand. In former play, — that is, 
before the adoption of American Leads, — third 
hand was indeed apprised of the fact that his part- 
ner held a long suit, one card of which he origi- 



Third Hand. 65 



nally played, perhaps too following with another 
of the same suit ; but third hand could form no 
estimate of the quality of his partner's remaining 
cards. Pole talked about playing the two hands 
as one, and instantly made it impossible to do 
so by an original lead of a deuce at the foot of a 
suit of six. Cavendish bettered the matter by 
the establishment of the penultimate, but still left 
third hand in the dark. Drayson determined to 
throw a knave at the head of five not in long- 
sequence, because " you may possibly bring down 
qu., k., and ace the first round, and will hold the 
best and third." 

Now, it happens in a vast number of cases in 
whist that first hand may lead exactly as he 
should do, and that third hand should do very 
differently from the way in which the leader had 
planned for him to do. This circumstance vitiates 
not in the slightest degree the utter propriety of 
the original lead, nor the propriety of a continuous 
lead, or of a change of lead ; but it establishes the 
statement that while partners should play for each 
other, and that third hand should generally assist 
first player in the development of his suit and 
of his plan, nevertheless third-hand player is an 
important factor in the quartette, and may at any 
time assume to. be an independent one. Third 
5 



66 Whist Universal 

hand regarded as the accommodating personage 
who carries out the purposes of the original leader, 
is of great consequence when he figures as an 
illustrator of the efficacy of American Leads ; and 
it is with him in this relation that we have first 
explicitly to deal. 

The proper original leads have been given, and 
we are to suppose that advanced players are fa- 
miliar with the system. To illustrate that system 
in its integrity requires that not only third-hand 
player must conform to its requirements, but sec- 
ond-hand player also ; so that in despite of what 
might be done by a second hand like Deschapelles, 
who at times would not allow first hand to de- 
cipher his finesse, we are to let second hand keep 
as rigidly within the law as either of the other 
two. Fourth hand will not interfere with any of 
the proposed p]an, because no continuous play of 
the hand is illustrated. It is about the original 
lead and what comes of it, because of what the 
partner of the leader is to play in the suit of that 
leader, that we are interested. 

Having ace and four, says the new system, lead 
ace ; then original fourth best. Third hand reads 
two better cards in leader's hand, knows at the 
outset there were live at least, and prepares to 
play his own four, or three, or two, that the suit 



Third Hand, 67 

may be of service. But ace may be played from 
one of the established combinations that are not 
affected by the new play, which regulates, not 
what can be understood without new lights, but 
what was neither uniform nor direct. 

Third hand, however, is informed how to read, 
what to play, and when to unblock in the fol- 
lowing variety of examples, for all which we are 
indebted to Mr. Trist (Cavendish compiler), in 
" Whist Developments." 

1. Third hand holds k., 6, 5. A. leads ace ; C. 
small, B. 5, D. small. A. leads qu., C. small, B. 
6, and not k. to get out of the way, although 
B. knows that A. has kn., for he also knows 
A. has but one more of the suit, and that card 
cannot be the 10; so that 10 being against, B. 
retains k. 

2. Third hand holds k. and two others. A. 
leads ace, C. throws 6, B. low one, D. low one. 
A. leads kn., C. small one, B. throws k, for qu. 
must be in leader's hand. If, however, C. does 
not follow, B. should play the low card, retaining 
the k. in his hand. 

3. Third hand holds k. and three small ones. 
A. leads ace, C. plays small one, B. small one, D. 
plays 9. A. leads kn., C. 8, B. small ; D. trumps. 
When C. has the lead, he plays 10 ; B. plays k., 



68 Whist Universal. 

although he knows it will be trumped, to get rid 
of the command. 

If all followed suit to ace and kn., and kn. wins, 
it is certain that B. holds k. and a small one. A. 
will not continue the suit, for one adversary will 
trump and one throw away. B. will play k. after 
trumps are out, and lead the small card to partner. 
Should the suit not be led a third time, and B. 
(original third hand) be required to discard from 
his partner's suit, he should throw the k. and not 
the small one. A. must have qu. and two others, 
the 10 single against. 

4. Third hand holds k. and two small ones. A. 
plays ace, then 10. B. should throw k. on sec- 
ond play that he may not block the suit, and A. 
should not conclude that he had no more of the 
suit although he threw the high card, for he was 
offered the chance to get out of the way and 
took it. 

5. With k. and three small ones, third hand 
should pass the 10. 

6. With k. and more than three others, third 
hand passes ; for if the lead was from four cards, 
B. otherwise would block his own suit This 
of course, when B. can know that his partner 
will play the 10 following ace, with qu., kn., 10, 
only. 



Third Hand. 69 



7. Third hand holds qu., 4, 3. A. leads ace, C. 
plays 5, B. 3, D. 2. A. leads 9, C. plays k. ; B. 
should throw qu., for there must be two higher 
cards than the 9 in A.'s hand. 

8. Third hand holds qu., 10, 8. A. plays ace, 
C. plays 9, B. plays 8, and D. plays 2. A. plays 
6, C. plays k. ; B. should throw qu., for A. must 
have ka., 7, and a small card. 

9. Third hand holds k qu., kn., 2. A. plays ace ; 
it must be at the head of five. B. should throw kn., 
then qu., then either play or lead k., for if at any 
time before these high cards are out of the way B. 
throws the 2, he has blocked his partner's suit. 

With any four cards by the play of which B. 
may get in the way of a long suit, he should throw 
his secuntt best to the original ace-lead. For 
example, — 

10. Third hand holds 7, 6, 5, 2. A. leads ace, 
C. plays 8, B. plays 5, and D. 9. A. leads kn., C. 
plays k., B. plays 6, D. renounces. When A. has 
the lead again, A. plays qu., and B. 7 ; A.'s suit is 
unblocked. KB. had thrown the 2 to the ace, 
A.'s suit would have been blocked. 

11. Third hand holds qu., 9, 8, 3. A. leads ace, 

C. trumps, B. plays 3. When D. has the lead he 
plays k. ; A. plays 2, C. renounces, and B. plays 8 ; 

D. leads again the 5, and A. plays 7. Now origi- 



70 Whist Universal. 

nal third hand B. should throw qu., for A. must 
have kn. and 10. 

Third hand may not be able to get rid of cards 
that may be in the way, but he can announce the 
reason for his play. 

12. Third hand holds qu., kn., 10, 9. A. leads 
ace, third hand throws 10 ; A. leads 4, C. trumps, 

B. plays kn. Afterward D. leads k., and B. plays 
the 9. He must have the qu., since he had four of 
the suit. He played the 10 first, then the 9 to give 
the position of the qu. ; he would not have done so 
if he had played first 9, then 10, then kn. 

13. Third hand holds 6, 4, 3, 2. A. leads ace, 

C. plays 5, B. plays 3, D. plays 7. Second, A. leads 
9, C. plays k., B. plays 4, and D. kn. If C. does 
not lead a trump, the probability is that the 5 is 
his lowest card of the suit ; then B. must have 
the deuce and the 6. Of this A. could not have 
been sure if B. had first played 2, then 3. 

14. Third hand holds k, qu., 8, 3. A leads ace, 
C. plays kn., B. plays 8, I), plays 2. A. leads 6, 
C. trumps, B. plays qu., and D. 4. No one having 
played the trey, B. has it ; he must have one more 
card, the k, and of course D. has the 10 single. 

15. Third hand holds k, kn., 5, 2. A. plays ace, 
C. plays 4, B. plays 5, D. trumps. D. leads a 
trump ; if C. were not calling, B. holds the deuce 



Third Hand. yi 



of the suit, so that A. can tell that B. lias three 
more and C. has two more. Now if third-hand has 
but three cards, of which he can get rid by almost 
any play, A. can count the cards. 

16. Third-hand holds 9, 6, 5. A. leads ace, C. 
plays 2, B. plays 5, D. plays 4. If A. has the 3, 
B. has no more, or but two more. A. leads 8, C. 
plays k, B. plays 6, D. plays 7. Later in the hand 
B. discards the 9. D. has qu. ; A. can lead for B. 
to over-trump if he thinks proper. 

17. Third hand holds qu., 9, 2. A. leads ace, C. 
plays 3, B. plays 2 (therefore had not four), D. 
plays 4. A. leads 6, C. plays kn., B. plays qu., 
D. plays k. B. afterward discards the 9. D. 
must have the 10, and A. can force B. For if 

B. had held four of the suit originally, he w r ould 
have played the 9 to the first trick instead of 
the 2. 

18. Third hand holds 10, 9, 8, 4. A. leads ace ; 

C. plays 7, B. plays 8, and D. plays 2. A. leads 
qu. ; C. plays k., B. plays 9, and D. plays 3. When 
A. leads kn., B. plays the 4 and holds the 10. 

A. may lead from five cards, and put B. into 
difficulty about unblocking because of D.'s trump- 
ing on the first round. For example : — 

19. Third hand holds k., 10, 5, 2. A. leads ace ; 
C. plays 6, B. plays 5, D. trumps. Afterward A. 



72 Whist Universal. 

leads 4; C. plays kn., B. plays k., D. trumps. 
Third trick, C. to lead. C. plays qu. ; B. cannot 
place the 9, and does not wish to part with his 10. 
There is an even chance that of the two cards 
that A. holds one may be the 9. Perhaps as it 
was his lead the risk might be run. But B. can 
make his 10 if he does not throw it now. 

The matter of trumps and trumping, save when 
specified, is not supposed to interfere with the run 
of suits given as examples. They are played as 
if trumps were gone. In the matter of the return 
of the lead, when B. gives back his highest card 
owing to calculation of what is in from play, he 
does contrary to the accepted rule of play of re- 
turned leads. The hand properly played from the 
first, A. will understand what that return means, 
and that the small card is yet in B.'s hand. 

" The return here proposed," says Cavendish, 
" will most likely be a bitter pill for the old school 
of whist-players to swallow. They may have 
been brought up to return the higher of two re- 
maining cards, the lowest of three ; and they will 
probably continue in that faith. If, however, they 
wish to unblock their partner's suits, and to play 
their cards to the best advantage, they will have 
to depart from the cherished whist- maxim of their 



Third Hand. 73 



youth, where an ace is led originally. If they are 
content to stand still, no one can prevent them ; 
but they may be sure that the whist-players of 
the future, having nothing to nnlearn, will return 
any card which experience tells them will most 
probably conduce to success." 

In the process of unblocking there is therefore 
frequent necessity for the play of a card higher 
than one that -remains in hand. The card that is 
so played is not unnecessarily high, and so does 
not begin a call for trumps. And if another card 
of the same suit higher than that already played 
is afterward purposely thrown instead of the 
lower card, the play of the lower card at any time 
thereafter does not constitute a call. If the play 
of a card higher than one that could have been 
played might be construed as the beginning of a 
call, the fact that the call was not finished at a 
time when it could properly have been finished, 
nullifies any action of the low card in reference to 
a demand for trumps. 

For the practical unblocking in the partner's 
suits, third hand had best do away with the idea 
of calling for trumps. "While by the use of a 
middle card of his tierce B. can make a call, there 
is probable chance enough for him to obtain a 
lead and play trumps, if he can be of greater ben- 



74 Whist Universal. 

efit to his partner than by unblocking in his suit. 
Enough has been said and shown in this matter of 
unblocking to satisfy the players that there is a 
plan devised by the use of which they can play 
to the best advantage for the partner's long suit. 
Whenever A. leads an ace and follows it with a 
low card, B. holding four cards exactly of the 
suit should so manage his hand that A. will not 
be prevented from making his long suit. The 
examjDles that have been given only show the 
manner of avoidance of blocking the partner's 
suit. These could be multiplied indefinitely, but 
instead the general rule for play may here be 
given : — 

When a king is originally led, if third hand 
does not attempt to take the first trick he throws 
Ms lowest card, unless he cares to call for trumps, 
no matter how many cards of the suit he holds. 

When ace of any plain suit is led originally, if 
C. follows suit, third hand with any four cards of 
the suit exactly, retains his lowest card. 

When qu., kn., or 10 is led originally, whether 
second hand follows suit or renounces, third hand 
with four small cards of the suit exactly, retains 
the lowest card. 

On the second play, if third hand does not take 
the trick he plays his middle card. When he 



Third Hand. 75 



afterward throws a lower one of the suit, he has 
not called for trumps. 

If third hand retains his lowest card on the 
play of the first trick, and is to return the suit, he 
is to play his highest card in that suit, although he 
holds three at the time. 

It follows then that third hand should pay 
special attention to assisting in the establishment 
of the original lead, supposing that it may be from 
a strong continuous suit; but that suit may be 
stronger or longer in third hand than in first. A. 
holds — as in our first example (p. 67), wherein 
all was easy sailing — ace, qu., km, 2. Suppose A. 
leads the ace and B. holds k., 10, 9, 8, 6, 5, three 
small trumps (clubs), two small diamonds, and 
two small spades. B. can neither help nor hinder; 
he can but inform. He knows the suit can run 
but once. It is useless for him to play one of his 
best cards, for the suit will come out and presently 
develop. 

Again, A. leads k. of clubs plain suit ; C. throws 
the 5. B. has ace, kn., and five more clubs. This 
suit is to be trumped second round if not upon the 
first, and encouragement must not be given to 
play it again. B. should attempt to take with the 
ace, and lead a trump though he has not more than 
three ; especially if he holds a card of re-entry. 



j6 Whist Universal. 

The leads that can be readily traced as the her- 
alds of certain combinations that third hand is to 
assist in making available, have been explained. 
When third hand must play his own cards for the 
most that he can make from them, perhaps requir- 
ing instead of affording assistance, he is liable to 
finesse, retaining control of the suit led. A. leads 
the 9 of clubs, B. holds the major tenace and a 
small card. The value of the card led is evident, 
the finesse is in passing it ; but if he does so he 
must take control next play. He can take with 
qu., open his own suit, and when not afterward 
returning the club-suit nor leading a trump, the 
partner can understand that he had best play B.'s 
hand if possible. 

Finessing on your partner's play is a very dif- 
ferent matter from finessing against the partner. 
The qu. or kn. and ace and others are proper 
finesse cards. The 10, holding the k. and others, 
or the 10, holding qu. and others, may as well be 
played upon a small card led as the best card that 
you hold ; for it may be, first, that your 10 may 
draw the ace, and then your high card may be of 
much use to your partner ; and, second, if the other 
cards are with your partner and on your right, 
you will know what is best to be done to make 
those in your partner's hand. In order to figure 



Third Hand. 77 



finesse proper, the simplest form, it is usually 
necessary to consider two or three hands. For 
instance, leader throws a low card, second hand 
throws one lower, third hand holds k. and 10 
and two low ones. Now, the position of any 
one high card besides the k. is unknown to 
third-hand player ; but if his partner has led 
from ace-qu., the kn. is as likely to be on the 
right as with the last player, and if A. led from 
ace-kn,, the qu, may be with second hand. It is 
easy to see that the 10 is a correct play, 

On the kn. led, third hand holding ace and one 
only should play ace and return the small one; 
holding more than one small card of the suit, pass 
the kn. The lead may be from k., qu., kn., and 
others, or from kn, at head of sequence, or with a 
hand of short tenaces or weaknesses it may be the 
best of three. In any case you do no harm in 
passing once ; if the card takes, you have given 
information to your partner that you have more 
than ace and another. Moderate players who 
have seen that the capture of the knave with 
the ace by second hand was good play, do not 
draw the distinction between the play made by 
adversary and partner; and holding two or 
more small cards throw the ace to clear the 
suit for first player before they ascertain that 



yS Whist Universal. 

the suit is there. If it is not there, B. loses a 
trick. 

Do not play k. on kn. led; the ace is not in 
first or second hand. 

There are two recognized leads from quart se- 
quences to k. (p. 30) ; so that when the 10 is led, 
the reasons for taking with ace must exist in your 
own hand and mode. 

The force of original leads is soon spent. All 
the parties have but four, and every one of the 
four has one long suit of more or less pretensions. 
The player who is successful with his suit is gen- 
erally indebted to his partner for assistance with 
trumps, or holds well in the two suits. Third 
hand learning what suit the partner cares to play, 
if strong in trumps will make his hand of service. 
The play changes because forced to change. The 
hands are different in every round, and the wit of 
skilful players opposed to each other make the 
game of interest, not only by antagonizing the 
suits, but by overturning the plans of the holders. 
Third hand finesse, therefore, is usually a conspic- 
uous feature in a brilliant game. 

Third hand after trumps are out, holding the 
same suit, to make which they drew trumps, some- 
times has opportunity for announcement of his 
strength. A. knows that B. has clubs in his own 



Third Hand. 79 



best suit as first led, but he does not know of their 
quality. Trumps gone, he does not dare play a 
small club that D. may take, for then he will bring 
in the diamonds. A. therefore plays his k. of 
clubs, B. throws the 4; A follows with ace, B. 
throws the 3 ; A. may go on with the lead, B. has 
the queen. 

The conditions that attach to size of card that 
second hand shall throw, may seem of little conse- 
quence near the close of the play ; but third hand 
may save a trick. A. leads a small spade from 
kn., 9, and two small. Second hand, to take the 
trick with two only, throws qu., not 7 ; third hand 
k., to draw two honours for one; D. ace. D. 
holding up the 10 continues the suit ; A. having 
last trump passes for B.'s best card, and B. makes 
the 8. B. returns the 3, and A. holds the tenace. 

Third hand holding last trump is most favorably 
situated for finesse. A. knowing that B. has last 
trump should throw his highest cards, and B. may 
pass any of them in finesse even against his right. 
He has all advantage ; for if fourth hand takes, he 
ra ust lead up to B., then last player. 

Third hand finesse at times from an original 
lead, and frequently upon the after leads, will win 
trick or throw the lead to advantage. When the 
trumps are declared strong against, deep finesse 



80 Whist Universal. 

by third hand may be the only plan that can save 
a game. Whenever it happens that third-hand 
player is very weak in all suits, his proper play 
may nevertheless be of service. It simply re- 
mains for him to do the best that he can. He 
cannot play what he does not hold, but he should 
play correctly what he does hold, no matter of 
what quality. A. led the qu. of hearts, trump ; B. 
threw the 3. A. led the k. ; B. threw the 2. A. 
read the two more trumps in B.'s hand. A. led 
k. of diamonds, taken by the ace of right-hand 
adversary ; who led_ a club, taken by the other 
adversary; who led a spade up to A.'s tenace. 
A. threw qu. of diamonds, then a small one 
that B. trumped, who led another spade; A. 
took and led another diamond, drawing B.'s last 
trump. A. made the rest of his trumps and 
game. B. had announced his holding of four 
trumps, and he took two tricks; but he held a 
"Yarborough," — that is, not a card of any suit 
above an 8. 

A. led the 8 of clubs, plain suit ; B. held qu., 
9, 3. C. threw the 7 ; B. the 3, for the qu. was 
useless and B. was weak in trumps. D., who 
had only low clubs, could not take the trick. Of 
course there was but one card that could take 
it, — the k. ; and that was in C.'s hand, and would 



Third Hand. 81 



have been his best play on 8 led second hand. 
But the correct third-hand play informed A. 
what next to do. He threw the ace, on which, 
if C. was not calling, the k. must fall ; drew the 
trumps, and made his suit. 



Si Whist Universal. 



FOUBTH HAND. 

Fourth-hand player is not merely a dummy, 
having but to trump a trick or win it, if he can do 
so by overplay. He must know when to take a 
trick and when not to do so, though in his power. 
He is no more to catch each trick that offers, than 
lie is to omit to capture what is proper for him to 
make. For instance, A.B. and CD. were each 
26 points ; the rubbers were even, the games were 
even, and when C. turned a small diamond on 
the last deal, the score stood 6 to 6. B. led the 
ace of spades at the head of six ; qu. falling third 
hand, he did not continue the suit, but threw the 
kn. of hearts. This was taken by C. with ace, 
who, strong in spades but having not a trick 
beside, and hearts not being the original lead, re- 
turned the lead. B. threw the 10, and A. took 
with qu. ; knowing B. had no more, A. followed 
with king, B. renouncing. A. now — with three 
tricks in, no call made, the major tenace and three 
of suit in clubs, and k., qu., 10, and 6 of diamonds 
— threw k. of diamonds. C, B., and D. threw small 
diamonds ; A. followed with the 6 of diamonds, B. 



Fourth Hand. 83 

played kn., C. and D. small. B. having no more 
trumps, and satisfied that A. held the trumps, to 
make the game threw a spade, of which A. might 
have the k. ; if not, he could take the trick with 
a small trump, then play the ace of diamonds that 
he must hold, and the game would be won. A. 
trumped the spade, and then, with six tricks in, 
exultingly threw his ace of clubs for the odd card 
and game. D., fourth hand, trumped ; led ace of 
diamonds and drew the qu. ; led a small spade to 
his partner who must hold king; made his last 
trump upon the return play ; made the 5 and 4 
of hearts, the odd trick, the game, the rubber, and 
the odd point upon the long play. 

C.'s hand by a Short-Whist or a Five-Point 
player would probably have been thrown down, 
or at least the announcement made that the game 
was past all hope ; but Long Whist does not tol- 
erate such exhibition. The hands must be played 
out ; and this was done in this case, to the mani- 
fest astonishment of three players. 

A. leads k. from k, qu., kn., and a small card ; 
D. holding ace, 10, and others, passes. If A. 
makes the common error of continuing with the 
small card, D. makes two tricks. 

A. leads the k. of trumps at the close of a hand, 
from k., qu., and 10. D. holds ace, knave, and an- 



84 Whist Universal. 

other. If D. takes the first trick, he loses both 
the others; if he declines to take it, he makes 
both the others. 

One more example " from actual play," as 
Cavendish says, wherein D. had the best of 
chances to trump and ruin a game : — 

Score 6 to 6 ; 5 of hearts turned by C. B. led 
small spade from four, 9 high ; A. played qu., and 

C. took with king. C. led 7 of diamonds, B. small 
one, D. the 10, A. the qu. A. holding the dia- 
mond and high tierce-trump sequence, was sure of 
the game, and although he had played qu. on his 
partner's lead, thought best to risk the return to 
find him either with ace or kn. C. played ace, 
and led the kn. of diamonds; D. played a low 
diamond, and A. took with k. A. now satisfied 
that his partner could take a trick in spades, first 
drew three rounds of trumps, leaving the thir- 
teenth with D. He then threw the best diamond 
which D., although a sure trick, did not trump, for 
he saw the policy, as he had not a sure trick in 
clubs or spades, of leaving the matter in his part- 
ner's hands ; had he trumped this best card, he 
must have led a club up to certain destruction. 

D. believed of course as A. did, and as they both 
had reason to do from C.'s play, that B. must hold 
the kn. of spades. A. next led the small spade 



Fourth Hand. 85 

that his partner might make the one trick needed ; 
but C. took it with the 10, followed with the kn., 
then with the diamonds, and lastly with a low 
club, a singleton, on which D. must play his 
thirteenth trump. 

The ace, qu., and two small clubs were with B., 
but he would not lead from them at first, prefer- 
ing to be led up to ; after his first lead he had no 
other chance. C.'s play was very fine in this ex- 
ample. Cheap players would have endeavored to 
utilize the singleton, or at least would not have 
practised his covering of the spade led. But the 
play is especially noticeable, because of D.'s under- 
standing what must be done. Probably four fifths 
of the players would have taken that sure trick in 
diamonds; while D. by not doing so, offered one of 
the recorded demonstrations that fourth-hand play 
is no sinecure. 



86 Whist Universal, 



SPECIAL TOPICS. 

Folkestone spoke wisely when he said, " Study 
your partner's hand." The routine player seldom 
takes this advice into account. B. opens the play 
with the 8 of hearts. D. plays the 7. A. 
holds the ace, qu., kn., and two small hearts and 
five trumps, with major tenace. He should in- 
stantly see that the 8 will take the trick, that D. 
has no more hearts, and that if he passes it his 
partner will at once give him a trump. But he 
sees nothing of the kind. He flings the kn. upon 
the 8, thinks he has made a successful finesse 
because C. did not play king, and leads a trump 
because of his and his partner's hearts ; B. plays 
the kn. of trumps and D. captures it with king. 
A. has lost a trick, — perhaps more than one, for 
he may be forced, — but all the time he firmly 
believes that he is playing whist correctly. 

Perhaps good advice about general play is to 
the effect that if you are strong in trumps you are 
to play your own game, and while of course consult- 
ing what may be done by partner, induce him, by 
evidence that you are able to carry more than he 



Special Topics. 87 



can, to play for you ; vice versa, if you are weak in 
trumps, play your partner's game. 

Having sequence of qu., kn., 10, from which 
you lead qu. and it takes, follow with kn., and if 
it takes, with 10 ; the k. may be on your left. 
This especially if you care to force right-hand 
adversary, for if ace and k. are both in partner's 
hand and C. can follow, it may be D. must trump ; 
at any rate you leave B. with best card perhaps 
as a thirteener. 

After one round holding three cards of different 
grade and no winner, if you return your partner's 
suit, play the low card ; having two play highest ; 
but if you hold the winner, play it without regard 
to number. 

When you return opponent's play, lead through 
the strong suit up to the weak. If C. has led from 
any suit of which D. has not a high card, you can 
judge if underplay had best be tried. 

When you can keep the best card of the oppo- 
nent's suit, knowing that your partner has cards 
of that suit, or not wanting to have him afterward 
forced by their play, retain the command. 

Players affected with the trumping mania some- 
times willingly give up their advantage in order 
that the suit may be led up to be trumped. To 
have the highest card out of the way was what 



88 Whist Universal. 

the adversary wanted, and he will at once draw 
the trumps, or play the force if more to his bene- 
fit, and afterward make his suit. 

Unless purposely finessing upon partner's lead, 
holding the strength, get rid of the command, that 
he may make his high cards. When partner leads 
an ace, and of the suit you have four small cards, 
or three in sequence and one small one, play the 
third best card ; when he leads again, the second 
best. If the suit is again led, or after trumps are 
out, when it is led play your highest card ; for 
your partner holding two more, one of which is 
larger than your small card, makes both of his, 
whether you lead to him or he has the play. 

If partner leads a knave and you hold ace and 
more than one small one, do not play ace unless 
to cover second-hand higher play than km, for 
he may not have led from k., qu., km, and two. If 
however km takes and he continues with qu., take 
with ace that you may give. back the small one ; if 
you have but ace and one small one take km with 
ace, and at the proper time return the small one. 

If you know by the lead and fall of the cards 
that partner leads from five of a suit of which 
you have but three or four, be sure to get out of 
his way, so that your last card will not interfere 
with either that he holds. 



Special Topics. 89 

You can get out of partner's way in the trump 
suit as well as in a plain suit. If you know that 
he is desirous of getting them out, take what he 
leads with ace, having but one more, playing back 
the smaller card at once. 

The system of American Leads allows partners 
to give constant information to each other in 
course of play. The leader throws an ace and 
follows with small card ; whatever that card may 
be, the leader holds two in the suit that are higher, 
so that by what the partner holds and what falls 
upon the second play, third hand may often 
read the two or even the three cards that remain. 
Again, the leader throws a small card, — ■ he has 
three higher ; third hand should carefully study to 
learn what they are. Again, leader throws a 9 ; he 
has k. and kn., and if when again he leads he plays 
the 10, he holds two or three more of the suit and 
the higher cards. 

In the matter of reply the partner may inform 
of his own holding. If he has four cards of the 
suit, he throws the third best ; and then in ac- 
cordance with the fact of whether his partner 
or himself should keep control so that all the 
tricks possible be made in that suit, he plays best 
card in the third lead or follow, or retains it, 
playing the small one, — the play so made after 



u 



90 Whist Universal. 

the chance to call in the first place not taken, not 
being interpreted as a call for trumps. 

If during the play you throw away the highest 
card of a suit, it follows that you hold command 
of that suit (or have no other cards than trumps in 
hand) ; that is, you hold the next cards in sequence. 
If you throw a second-best card, you should have 
no more. 

As in playing the only two cards of the suit, 
ace, k., you lead the ace, then k., showing no more, 
so with other cards in simply double sequence. 
Tor example : you play k. from k. qu., qu. from 
qu. kn., etc., whether you lead or play to partner's 
lead, unless he leads a higher card. If he plays 
5 of spades and you play qu. and take the trick, 
returning kn., you have no more, but do not call for 
trumps by the play. Of course if you take with 
kn., then play a small one, then play qu., you have 
yet another ; if you take with kn., then play qu., 
then play a small one, you can have no more. 

Cavendish was a long time deciding about that 
play of ace, then k., and also about the lead of k., 
then kn., from the four highest cards ; but he has 
now accepted both. They were printed in "Ameri- 
can Whist " six years ago. He is giving the best 
possible attention to the system of American Leads, 
the letter-press of his new edition being changed 



Special Topics. 91 

from all the former ones to conform to the new 
order of things ; and his " Whist Developments " 
presents the plans of the American inventor with 
regard to lead and unblocking in the precise spirit, 
if not in the very words, of the original contribu- 
tions to " The Field." 

The difference that exists in the manner of play 
by the different methods is more apparent in the 
management of trumps than from any other agency. 
Short- Whist play insists that the "primary use of 
strength in trumps is to draw the adversary's 
trumps for the bringing in of your own or your 
partner's long suit," and advocates their play at 
once if many are held. But to play to the score 
that the Short-Whist players keep, equally depen- 
dent upon the holding of honours with the taking 
of tricks, requires a very different usage of trumps 
from what is demanded of the player who strives 
for points made by the tricks alone. For example, 
Cavendish says : " If you are at the score of three, 
the adversaries being love, one or two, you should 
not lead a trump merely because you have five 
trumps with two honours, if they are unaccompa- 
nied by a very strong suit or by good cards in each 
suit for here if your partner has an honour you 
probably win the game in any case, and if he has 
no honour you open the trump suit to a disadvan- 



92 Whist Universal. 

tage." Now, neither in Long nor Mongrel Whist 
could the matter of honour-count be taken into 
consideration. Of course with the cards just speci- 
fied the holder would or would not lead the trump, 
according to his decision as to the best way to 
make his tricks in all his suits. 

Short Whist says, " With great strength in trumps 
you may proceed at once to disarm the opponents." 
But Long Whist says, " The first use of trumps is 
their employ to make our tricks. If we can make 
them serviceable to that end, although we lose a 
trick or more to our opponents' trumps, and we 
by skilful play make more than we can lose, and 
it may be more than in a defiant game we should 
have made, we have used our trumps to the best 
advantage." Tor example: In Short Whist A.B. 
are 3 ; CD., 0. A has ace, kn., and three small 
trumps, and leads a small one to see if partner has 
an honour. B. throws the qu., taken by the k. But 
A. and B. are two by honours, and have to make but 
a single trick in suit or with a trump besides the ace 
and kn. . A's lead was justifiable, for it determined 
at once his game ; he can draw other trumps with 
his ace and kn. at his earliest opportunity. But 
in Long Whist A. holding the same hand is 
to make as many tricks with it as he can. He 
thinks it prudent at first to lead a kn. at the head 



Special Topics. 93 

of a long sequence ; B. takes with ace, and returns 
k. f showing no more ; qu., falls on the left. B. then 
leads his own suit, and A. calls. B. holding qu. 
and one other throws qu., which A. passes. B. plays 
a small one ; A. takes with kn., leads ace, k. falls, 
and A. makes all his suit. The same hand wins 
by leading it for honour-count that wins by play- 
ing it for tricks ; but seven by cards is a far more 
notable achievement than two by honours. 

The partner's lead of trumps should be at once 
returned. His call for trumps should be answered 
in preference to every other play. Good players, 
however, do not'use the call unless for excellent 
reason. Merely holding five trumps is not a rea- 
son for calling unless there is a gain to be made in 
suit. A good player, if he wishes trumps led, can 
generally manage to get in and lead them. The 
accidental introduction of this now generally un- 
derstood call for trumps dates from the practice 
of throwing a high card upon the opponent's lead 
to stop him from leading the suit again for fear it 
would be trumped. If then he had a good suit 
and a long one he might lead a trump of his own 
accord ; but if he played another card of his suit, 
and you then threw a smaller card than before, 
the fact was patent that the play of your first 
uselessly high card was to induce him to lead a 



94 Whist Universal. 

trump. If he did not lead one, your partner 
would at the first opportunity. This manner of 
giving information is now being utilized upon oc- 
casion to the fullest extent. A 3 and then a 2 is 
as much a demand for trumps as a queen and a 
5. It does but need a spot in excess to serve the 
signal purpose ; and the player who trusts his part- 
ner's good sense and quick perception is careful 
not to offend either, for if he must make the call 
he does so with his lowest cards. 

The caller for trumps takes upon himself the 
entire responsibility of the game; he demands 
that his partner leave his own play and play for 
him. In response to the call the partner leads 
the highest of three trumps, whatever they are, 
following with the next highest. If he has four 
he leads the lowest, unless one is the ace ; if the 
ace, then that first, then lowest. If he has five 
and is aware that his partner has five, the united 
hands will lose no trick that can be made. With 
this number of trumps and in reply to a call he 
cannot consider the policy of showing his partner 
how many he holds, so much as the manner in 
which he is at once to make for his partner's sake 
his own trumps effectual. Tor example : D. led 
k. and ace of clubs (trey of diamonds turned by 
B.) ; A. called. D. persisted in his suit, and B. 






Special Topics. 95 

trumped with the 6 ; he then led the 4 to show A. 
his own great strength in trumps. D. played the 7. 
A. the 10, and C. took with the qu., his only trump. 
D. held the ace, which gave him four tricks in. 
A. and B. wanted four points to win a rubber of 
eight (Five-Point Whist). They made but three ; 
and in the next three hands CD. won the rub- 
ber of four, — a difference and a loss to A.B. 
of twelve points by rubber count, because of one 
absolutely wrong play. For B. when his partner 
called should have led k. at head of live ; D. must 
then play ace or lose the trick. C. had but qu., 
which must have fallen; A. held kn., 10, and three 
others. 

The management of trumps is at times by far 
the most sterling part of the game. The differ- 
ence in quality of players may easily be known 
by watching the exercise of care exhibited by the 
good ones in the proper development of the trump 
suit, in contrast with the laxity of attention given 
by poor ones to the detail, which in order to insure 
success must be understood and closely observed. 
One false lead in trumps may ruin a hand and 
lose a game. A single spot in follow, two in 
finesse, may change an anticipated gain to a loss 
of many tricks. 

With a reasonably strong trump-hand and a 



g6 Whist Universal . 

good suit, it is dangerous to over-trump the right 
hand adversary. He has parted with a trump, 
and is weaker for that. The trump that may be 
expended in over-trumping to take a trick might, 
if at that time retained, be the means of command- 
ing the hand. 

It not infrequently happens that A. having a 
good suit and four trumps tries the experiment, 
usually hazardous, of getting out the trumps. On 
the third round his partner renounces, and the 
best of the last two trumps is left in C.'s hand. 
Now, if C. draws that last trump, and A. has a 
card of re-entry, he will make his suit; also, if 
B. has a card of re-entry and one of A.'s suit to 
lead. Unless C. or D. has a suit established, to 
draw the trump is not good play; and if the es- 
tablished card is in D.'s hand, and A. has not a 
card of that suit to lead him, C. should not draw 
the trump, unless confident that he can lead to D. 
a card of which D. holds one of re-entry. 

The disposition to over-trump is very natural ; 
but there are cases in which the " moderate 
player," as Cavendish styles one of a class, incurs 
constant loss by the practice. The most fre- 
quent examples are when third hand trumps a 
plain suit led by his partner ; and fourth hand, 
holding the best trump and another, over-trumps. 



Special Topics. 97 

He takes that trick ; but if he leads his remain- 
ing trump it falls to one higher, and if he leads 
the card which he should in the first place 
have thrown away, it is taken by one higher, or 
trumped. In any event he loses a trick. It is 
not easy to tell when third hand in such a case 
holds the second and third best trumps. Of course 
if he does, over-trumping surely loses, when he also 
holds the winner of a suit or the last card of one. 

There is nothing more ingenious in whist than 
the act of properly throwing the lead. It is in 
this respect that the player of finesse makes his 
especial gain. The "moderate player" only sees 
the trick that could have been surely won, but he 
does not see the two tricks afterward made, one of 
which could not have been obtained if the lead 
had not been thrown. If A. holds best and third 
best trump, and D. the second and fourth best, 
A. throws upon D.'s best plain-suit card his own 
best card, so that when led again he cannot take 
the trick, and is not obliged to lead up to D. and 
surely lose. If A. so throws away the chance of 
being the winner of the next trick played, his 
partner may be able to take that ; and then play- 
ing through D., the last three tricks are won. This 
is when there are four cards, — a situation that 
happens at the close of many a hand. 

7 



98 Whist Universal. 

It is often very much better to lead a card of 
the opponent's suit if you have no winning cards 
and cannot give your partner one of his suit, in 
order that when obliged to do so he may lead 
up to your partner, than to play a card of a suit 
on which one adversary will discard and the other 
play a trump. 

One of those terrible persons who is always 
getting in a trump, when the second play of a suit 
is made, holding the last trump, takes the trick, 
thereby making all the rest of that suit good in 
the adversary's hands. If he had passed that card 
and let the suit be played again, it is not unlikely 
that he might have exhausted one of the oppo- 
nents, perhaps left the best remaining card of it 
in his partner's hand. It is not always well to 
trump the second-best card of a suit, especially 
with the last trump. Judgment must teach the 
holder of the trump when to refrain from its use. 

The player who has command of a suit some- 
times forces his adversary to their mutual advan- 
tage where the force is taken ; for it is best to use 
the trump upon a card that is not only sure to 
take, but sure to be followed by others equally 
effective. 

If it is the leader's determination to force the 
partner the force had best be taken, although it 



Special Topics. 99 



breaks the power of his trumps ; for the responsi- 
bility rests with first player to prove that he was 
correct. 

Over-truniping is usually safe if the left-hand 
adversary is strong in trumps, and is always best if 
the partner wishes that trumps should be played. 
If after the successful over-trump a trump can be 
led, the result is usually advantageous. 

If a strong hand of trumps has been developed 
by the adversary, the leader and his partner 
should force that hand if possible. The cards that 
must be played to force him may be winners, but 
he would trump them by and by, or they must 
fall on taking cards of his. They had best be 
used at once, to the detriment of a battery of 
trumps. The card that he may be obliged to lead 
may be taken; if so, another force had best be 
made. If the play has been so traced that his 
hand can be read, the leader may know that if 
his force is kept up a tenace may be broken by a 
future lead, and so a trick gained per consequence 
of the continuous force. For example, — fourth 
hand with the last two trumps and holding ace, 
qu., of a plain suit, and small cards of another 
plain suit of which leader has command. Now, if 
leader plays k. of the fourth plain suit of which 
fourth hand has none, he must trump it and play 



ioo Whist Universal. 

one of the small cards. First player takes, and 
leads ace of the fourth suit; this takes the last 
trump, and the ace of the tenace must next be 
led, then the qu., to be taken by the k. of right- 
hand adversary. If first leader had not forced, 
but played instead up to the tenace, the trump- 
holder must have made all the tricks. 

When the play is Short Whist it follows that 
constant regard be had to the score which can so 
easily be affected for the benefit of the party who 
is at 1 or 3. While therefore the same cards held 
by a Short- Whist player if held by a Long- Whist 
player would be very differently played, yet the 
principle of the law of lead is not in any wise 
changed. It is simply the fact that the hand of 
the Short- Whist player becomes an exceptional 
one, and he uses it to the best advantage for a 
different purpose than that desired by the player 
of the other game. For example, A.B. 3 ; CD. 2. 
A. holds two honours and two small trumps, and 
a good long suit; he leads a trump, for if his 
partner has an honour, his play thereafter is not 
to make tricks but to hinder the opponents from 
making them. The Long-Whist player would 
lead the fourth-best card of the long suit. 

Again, the Short- Whist player may hold two 
honours, two small trumps, no long suit, no strong 



Special Topics. 101 

cards, and with no score. In such a case he leads 
to ascertain about the honours. An illustration is 
offered by J. C. " I hold qu., kn. } and two small 
trumps, tierce to a knave and a small card in the 
second suit, qu., kn., and a small card in the third, 
and a guarded king in the fourth. With this, 
which is not great strength, or with any hand of 
a similar character, I believe it so important to 
find out whether my partner has a third honour, 
and whether consequently I may play to win the 
game, that I unhesitatingly lead a small trump. 
If my partner has an honour and a trump to re- 
turn to me, etc., we shall probably win the game, 
or at least be very close to it." That is, if his 
partner had a high trump they counted two ; there 
was not then much chance for the adversaries 
making five, and J. C. and partner might get three 
by card. Of course the Long- Whist player would 
have led the knave at the head of the sequence. 

It is a common practice with " moderate players " 
to yield a game or a hand when the main cards 
are with the opponents ; or it may be suddenly 
to play out their best in every suit, with the idea 
that they must get in what they may be sure of 
making at the earliest opportunity. This course 
is generally pursued when the adversaries are very 
strong in trumps. But it is worth something to 



102 Whist Universal. 

save the game against fearful odds, and sometimes 
there is a chance for doing so. When it is clear 
that in the leader's weak suit his partner must be 
strong in order to gain something toward the num- 
ber of tricks that must be taken, he should not 
throw his best cards, but lead from his weakest 
suit. This advice we fear will be followed but 
very seldom, for the general impulse is to make 
what can be made, in other words to " get in what 
can be got in " of the high cards ; but it is sound 
nevertheless. The leader's partner should finesse 
deeply, and in turn lead back his weakest suit, 
and deep finesse should be made in that. The 
object is to make one or two tricks more, if so 
many save the game, than would probably be made 
if the high cards were led at once. For example : 
if CD. have three trumps, all the rest played, and 
want four or five tricks, A.B. desire to hinder 
them from making more tricks than their trumps 
mast take. If in such a case A. says, "Partner, it 
is of no use, I have only one or two tricks ; " and 
B. says, " Nor I, and they have three trumps," and 
they then throw up the hand, they do but exem- 
plify an action of frequent occurrence. Now, if B. 
holds ace, qu., and 10 of a suit and two small cards 
of another suit, and leads the ace, he will let C. 
make his k., perhaps his kn. of that suit ; but if he 



Special Topics. 103 

were to lead from his weakest suit, and A. could 
take ' the trick by deep finesse, and not returning 
that suit, but instead lead to B. one of his own 
low cards to find it of B.'s strong suit, C. would not 
risk his k. or kn. second, and it would be no mat- 
ter if he did ; but if he did not, B. should finesse 
the 10 and lead a^ain the weak suit. A. taking 
this, pursues the former lead ; C. either loses k. or 
kn., and A.B. have saved the game. Of course 
this is desperate play, but it is good play, far bet- 
ter than the play of cards sure to take. It is the 
only play at such a time that can succeed. Of 
course a trump must come in by and by, but the 
risk must be run ; for if either of the suits are to be 
trumped, the high cards will certainly be trumped 
as readily as the lower ones, while it is demonstrable 
at the outset that if the high cards alone are led, 
even if they make, they will not save the game. 

Of course in the oft-repeated phrase " save the 
game," either Short Whist or Five-Point Whist 
must be the method of play under comment, for 
Long Whist has no game to save. It plays all 
for all, and games count only as incidental parts 
or portions that are classified. An illustration of 
the three games under exactly the same circum- 
stances and with the same cards would show very 
different results. The Short- Whist rubber could 



104 Whist Universal. 

be quickly played ; the Five-Point Whist rubber 
would be longer, as the honours are not counted ; 
while the Long Whist games that count all their 
points toward their rubber would require as much 
time, it may be, as the other two. Now, the Short- 
Whist rubber could be one of eight points, the 
Five Point of eight points ; while the Long Whist 
count is as yet but for two games of, it may be, 
seven points each. This statement is in extenso 
so far as the hands held are concerned. It only 
shows that players holding the best cards play 
them differently in the different games. In one 
game not half of those held need be played ; in an- 
other not nearly all ; but in the third every card 
is requisite for point-making. 

The laws and etiquette of Short Whist are (with 
exceptions) considered satisfactory to many of the 
players ; Five Point Whist has no code, but follows 
as well as it may the Cavendish orders that can 
be made to answer its purpose ; while Long Whist 
is peremptory in its requirements, which are in- 
tended to govern the action of the players of the 
best of games in its highest estate. Thus in Short 
and in Five-Point Whist there is much liberty of 
speech, and in actual play no small license of act ; 
while in Long Whist the breaking of silence after 
the first card is thrown is a misdemeanor. 



Forcing the Partner. 105 



FORCING THE PARTNER. 

The opinions of practical players as to the pro- 
priety of leading a card for the partner to trump 
when the leader is weak in trumps, are in decided 
opposition to one another. Despite all that has 
been written in the English papers and said 
by Drayson and urged by players in America, 
Cavendish persists in printing without change his 
stereotyped law. It would seem as if he must 
have good reason for playing out the hand for 
all that can be made, regardless of the probable 
act of the adversaries in drawing trumps. He 
probably thinks that in the working of the hand 
the trumps of the opponents may be better em- 
ployed in ruffing another suit, and that they will 
not draw the trumps unless provoked to do so; 
or it may be that he deems the loophole of 
privilege that he gives is large enough for the 
player, who cares to make the trial, to crawl 
through. For a player, himself weak in trumps, 
who wanted to lead from a poor suit that his 
partner might trump, could easily find refuge 



106 Whist Universal. 

under the Cavendish large, sheltering, provision- 
ary clause, " when he has already shown a desire 
to be forced, or weakness in trumps." Be that as 
it may, there are many players who absolutely 
decline to force their partners, when themselves 
weak; and we present both arguments for their 
consideration. But more particularly we claim, 
and shall show good reason for our position, that 
it is not always well to force the partner when 
the leader is strong in trumps (p. 113). 

We take first the 16th order of Cavendish. He 
says, "Do not force your partner if you arc weak 
in trumps, for you thus weaken him and leave it 
in the power of the antagonists to draw all the 
trumps and bring in their suit. If then a good 
partner refrains from forcing you, you may be 
sure he is weak ; on the other hand, if he evidently 
intends to force you (as by leading a losing card 
of a suit he knows you must trump) you may 
assume that he is strong in trumps ; and you should 
take the force willingly, even though you do not 
want to be forced, depending on his strength to 
exhaust the adversaries' trumps. 

"You may, however, though weak, force your 
partner under these circumstances : (1) When he 
has already shown a desire to be forced, or weak- 
ness in trumps, — as by trumping a doubtful card, 



Forcing the Partner. 107 

or by refraining from forcing you ; (2) When you 
have a cross ruff which secures several tricks at 
once, and is therefore often more advantageous 
than trying to establish a suit; (3) Sometimes 
when you are playing a close game, — as for the 
odd trick, — and often when one trick saves or 
wins a game or a point; (4) Sometimes when 
great strength in trumps has been declared 
against you." 

Eeplying to this, Drayson says : " Following this 
direction, many players will never force their part- 
ners if they are weak in trumps, and thus many 
a trick and many a rubber is lost. If I were to 
enumerate the number of rubbers I have seen lost 
by one player weak in trumps refusing to force 
his partner, I should count them by thousands. 
I have therefore often remarked to such partners 
when they have urged that they could not force 
me as they were weak in trumps, ' Say, you would 
not allow me to make a trick in trumps because 
you were weak in them/ Under the heading 
quoted above ('Do not force your partner,' etc.), 
former writers have carefully pointed out when 
you may force your partner although you are your- 
self weak ; namely, ' when he has shown a desire to 
be forced or weakness in trumps ; when you have 
a cross ruff; when strength in trumps has been 



108 Whist Universal. 

declared against you; and when one trick will 
win or save the game.' To refuse to force your 
partner merely because you are yourself weak, 
I consider a most dangerous game. You in the 
first place refuse to allow your partner to win a 
trick by trumping ; that is, you throw away a trick 
for some object, and what is this object ? If it be 
merely to inform your partner and adversaries 
that you are weak, the information is dearly pur- 
chased. If it be because you fear to reduce your 
partner's strength in trumps, you must have as- 
sumed that he is very strong in trumps, strong 
enough if not forced to extract the adversaries' 
trumps and establish a long suit. Then comes 
the inquiry, What right have you to assume such 
strength in your partner's hand ? If he has 
neither asked for trumps nor has discarded a card 
which may be the commencement of an ask for 
trumps, you by refusing to give him the option of 
a ruff practically say, 'I will not give you the 
chance of making a small trump because I am 
weak in them.' Immediately the adversaries gain 
the lead, they extract all your and your partner's 
trumps, and make the card or cards which your 
partner might otherwise have ruffed. Do not run 
away with the idea that to refuse to force your 
partner because you are weak in trumps is a safe 



Forcing the Partner, 109 

ga.iie. It is a dangerous game, because you are 
refusing to make a certain trick on the specula- 
tion that you may probably win more by so doing. 
If your speculation is incorrect, you lose by your 
reticence." 

It may be proper to say that of the thousands 
or hundreds of thousands of rubbers that Colonel 
Drayson has watched, some of them at least may 
not have been managed properly by the player, 
who, while he knew enough whist not to force his 
partner, might not have known enough to play the 
beautiful game of finesse that is far better than 
the game of force. 

After reciting an instance in which gain would 
be made by his order of play, he concludes: "I 
would therefore, after carefully weighing all the 
arguments that have been urged by former writers 
and comparing these with the results of my own 
experience in whist, be disposed to reverse the 
directions connected with forcing, and say : ' Un- 
less your partner has shown great strength in 
trumps, a wish to get them drawn, or has refused 
to ruff a doubtful card, give him the option of 
making a small trump, unless you have some good 
reason for not doing so other than a weak suit of 
trumps in your own hand." 

J. C.'s argument is as follows : " Do not force 



no Whist Universal. 

your partner unless you hold four trumps, one of 
them being an honour ; unless to secure a double 
ruff which you have the means of making as ob- 
vious to him as it is to yourself ; 

" Or, to make sure of the tricks required to save 
or win the game ; 

" Or, unless he has already been forced and has 
not led a trump ; 

" Or, unless he has asked to be forced by leading 
from a single card or two weak cards ; 

" Or, unless the adversary has led or asked for 
trumps. 

" This last exception is the slightest of the justi- 
fications for forcing your partner when you are 
weak in trumps, but it is in most cases a sufficient 
apology." 

Now, Long Whist has a definite reason for 
offering the partner a chance to trump, although 
the leader may not be strong. It is, that as all 
the cards in hand must be played, and as the part- 
ner knows what he must or what he need not 
protect, he will exercise his judgment as to trump- 
ing or discarding when the chance is given him. 
It may be of advantage to him that the lead be 
thrown to his left, and if so he will know it. The 
order is therefore in this wise : " Force your part- 
ner, if the situation warrants your doing so ; " and 



Forcing the Partner. 1 1 1 

if he does not see fit to accept the force, he will 
be able to give a good reason for his discard. 

It would seem as if one way to establish the 
propriety of either mode of play is to note the 
effect of each upon the same hands in actual prac- 
tice. What we desire to see is an illustrated game 
wherein both partners being weak in trumps, there 
is a loss proved to be made by one forcing the 
other, one or more tricks being taken because of 
the force made. 

One of England's fine players, Mr. F. H. Lewis, 
writes as follows : " When may I force my partner 
is a question frequently put. There are undoubt- 
edly many positions in practice where the thought- 
ful but inexperienced player finds himself in 
difficulty. It is easy enough to understand the 
reasonableness of forcing an adversary who has 
shown great strength in trumps, or a partner who 
has shown great weakness. But suppose, for ex- 
ample, as an original lead, a player were to lead 
from manifest weakness, an honor having been 
turned to his right ; that which in ordinary cases 
appears to be an invitation for a force would in 
fact amount almost to a direction to lead through 
the honor. But I will endeavor to lay down the 
cases when a player not having trump strength 
may nevertheless force his partner: — 



1 1 2 Whist Universal. 

" (a) When with no indication of strength he 
asks for a force. 

" (b) When the position shows a cross ruff. 

" (c) When the adversaries have signalled. 

" (d) To make the fifth or odd trick, or to save 
the game when the hand of the forcing player or 
the development of the game does not raise a high 
degree of probability that the necessary trick may 
otherwise be made." 

These are about identical with the Cavendish 
and J. C. ideas. At any rate, there lurks a strong 
objection in the minds of all these three players 
as to the practicability of demanding a trump 
from the partner on the part of a leader who is 
not strong in trumps. 

That it may not be well to force the partner 
when the leader is strong in trumps, is another 
phase of the subject. The common practice is to 
do this, and not any of the English writers object 
to it. So far from doing so, they show it to be 
a way of making tricks. But Mr. Lewis, in well- 
played games, proves conclusively that the best 
whist consists in the best manner of making the 
tricks. He says : " An interesting point relating to 
the force is where the player, in a position to force, 
has trump strength amply justifying it. It often 
happens that a player renounces to the lead of his 



Forcing the Partner. 1 1 3 

partner, who, with ample trurnp-strength, has no 
strength in the then declared suit. If he forces, 
and the declared suit be not headed by ace, k., or 
k, qu, the result is, after a force, a lead up to 
ruinous weakness. No trick is gained by the 
force, for another trick is lost in the suit. If, 
however, the player gives the partner his declared 
suit, the adversaries may infer that he has no 
strength in trumps, and lead trumps to their 
disadvantage.' > 

An excellent game in proof of this point is for- 
warded by Mr. Lewis to Mr. Proctor, who prints 
it as one of his "Forty Illustrated." The leader 
who by the fall of the cards finds his partner 
without spades, weak in trumps and poor in dia- 
monds, while himself strong in trumps, does not 
force the partner by playing a small spade for him 
to trump, but instead, to gain a trick, leads him 
the suit in which he must have strength. 

The hands are as follows, — the score standing 
A.B. 1, CD. 4, king of clubs turned : — 

SPADES. HEARTS. CLUBS. DIAMONDS. 

A., ace, k., 8, 7 G, 3 ace, qu., 9, 4 qu., 5, 4 

C, qu., 10, o, 3 ace, 10, 9 kn., 3, 2 ace, k., 3 

B., 4 k., kn., 7, 5, 4 10, 7, 6 kn., 10, 6, 2 

D., kn., 9, 6, 2 qu., 8, 2 k., 8, 5 9, 8, 7 



ii4 



Whist Universal. 







The Play. 








( The italicised card wins trick. ) 






A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


S.h. 


S. 3 


S.4 


S.2 


2. 


S.ace 


S. 5 


D. 2 


S.6 


3. 


H.6 


H.9 


H.h. 


H.2 



Here is the first proof of the quality of the 
leader. His partner has no more spades, has shown 
his poor suit to be diamonds, and has played the 
diamond to invite the lead of a spade that he may 
trump. But he has also shown his best suit to 
be hearts ; and A., with spades that will not take, 
strong in trumps and trumps not called, resists the 
temptation into which all poor players gladly fall, 
playing the game for its future good. 

A. C. B. D. 

4. H. 3 H. 10 H. 5 H. 8 

B. of course does right in returning the hearts. 
He must not play his poor suit of diamonds ; he 
certainly must not lead trumps. If his partner 
has not forced him because himself weak, the 
game is probably lost. But perhaps a cross-ruff 
may be secured. 

A. C. B. r>. 

5. C.qu. C.kn. C. 6 C. 5 



Forcing the Partner. 115 

C. sees that a cross-ruff must be secured. He 
has the tenace in spades, the best heart, an honour 
was turned, he has the command in diamonds, and 
A. has not forced B. All this is too much for 
human nature, and he leads the best of his three 
trumps. A. takes the trump when played to him, 
and now is the time for a force. 





A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


6. 


S.7 


s. 10 


C.I . 


S.9 


7. 


0.4 


H. ace 


H./ 


H.qu. 


8. 


S. 8 


S. qu. 


(7.10 


S. kn. 


9. 


D. 4 


D.L 


D. kn. 


D. 7 



V-, 



B. cannot lead another heart, upon which one 

opponent will throw away and the other play a 

trump. 

A. C. B. D. 

10. D. qu. D. ace D. 6 D. 8 

There is another good play of the fine player. 
He holds the tenace in trumps ; he needs three 
tricks. If he keeps queen of diamonds he cannot 
make them ; if his partner has the 10, he can. 





A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


11. 


D.5 


D. 3 


D. 10 


D.9 


12. 


0.9 


C. 2 


H.kn. 


C. 8 


13. 


C. ace 


C. 3 


H. 7 


C. k. 



A.B. win four by cards, and game. 



n6 Whist Universal. 

This is one of the instances in which better 
than ordinary whist is played. The moderate 
player wonld have forced his partner, and given 
as his reason, " I was strong enough, and so I 
forced you." It is the ever pestering idea, that 
haunts the mind of that " moderate player " about 
"getting in a little trump." The beauty of play 
is sacrificed to the definite manner of getting a 
trick at sight. If the player could but see through 
the hand in which he gives so much to gain the 
instant little, he would ascertain, as in the pres- 
ent case a genuine player did, that if he had forced 
his partner he might have lost two tricks ; that is, 
he could have made but two by card, whereas by 
proper play he made four. 

Perhaps there ever will be difference of opinion 
between players about deep finesse and the forcing 
of partner when weak in trumps. But there need 
be no question in the mind of any strong player 
holding the tenace and other trumps as to the 
propriety of deep finesse in a plain suit, that if 
unsuccessful throws the lead, or of giving partner 
an opportunity to make a card of his best perhaps 
his only suit, before he hurries him to trump a 
low card, necessitating a return lead that cannot 
probably be made to the best advantage. It is 
one thing for A. strong in trumps to lead to B. the 



Forcing the Partner, 117 

suit of B., when B. is weak in trumps \ "but it is 
quite another thing for A. to force B. to play a 
small trump, and then have B. lead to A. the best 
suit of B. But the best mode of play is for 
the best players to adopt; and they will not be 
influenced by haste to force a trump when by 
care they can promote a much more satisfactory 
result. 



1 1 8 Whist Universal. 



THE 9. 

" Suppose/' says Cavendish, " you lead a 9, which 
is called an equivocal card, as it conies from both 
strong and weak suits." 

If the 9 is an " equivocal " card, will Cavendish 
please tell us which of the high cards is not ? The 
knave must be equivocal, — it can be led at the head 
of three, at the head or the foot of a sequence ; the 
10 must be equivocal, for though Cavendish will 
not let it be played at the head of a sequence, save 
in trumps, it can represent a certain four cards at 
one time and a certain three cards at another ; the 
8 must be equivocal, for it can be first best or 
fourth best (one lower) or lowest of suit. Now if 
these cards are unequivocal, must not the dialect 
of Cavendish be changed ? The fact is that the 
9, by virtue of its position at the foot of the high 
cards and at the head of the low ones, is very 
particularly the only one high card that is not 
equivocal ; and it is the only card under the pres- 
ent order of leads that can be used as a repre- 
sentative of any other two. It is the only one 
sure leading card that need never be played as an 



The 9. 



119 



original lead except to signify one special combi- 
nation ; it is the only card that can be independent, 
for the system is broken if any other one is made 
to herald any single association. 

Cavendish has not looked into this value and use 
of the 9. For twenty years he has played whist 
and written books, and done both well; but the 
lead of the original fourth best was a surprise to 
him, and so it seems is the proper play of the 9. 

Discovery at cards is invention, and the special 
use for the 9 is an American invention. 

Let us see what Cavendish has formerly done, 
and proposes now to do, with this "equivocal" card : 



" From 


ace, qu,, 10, 9, 


lead 9 


a 


ace, kn., 10, 9, 


tt a 


a 


k., kn., 10, 9, 


it 11 


it 


k., kn., 9, 


<< it 


it 


k., 10, 9, 


a a 


it 


ace, 10, 9, 


a it 


It 


ace, qu., 9, 


it a 


Anything headed by 9, 


it n 



Perhaps he had better substitute " useful," " or- 
namental," or " ubiquitous," for " equivocal." * If 
the 9 is led and you have the king, put it on," he 
says. How much better not to lead it unless you 
have the king. By the above use or misuse of the 



120 Whist Universal, 

card, neither the partner nor any one else can be 
other than mystified by its lead. As an original 
lead, it may draw the partner's king and give up 
the entire suit at once, or it may draw the oppo- 
nent's king, insuring the same result for his benefit; 
while by its play, if the opponents please, when it 
is led as the lowest of such a variety of combina- 
tions, the puzzled partner may be defeated, let him 
do what he may. Singular enough in this game 
of system, when Cavendish is recommending the 
American Leads because of their designatory pow- 
ers, he can say of the 9 led originally \ " The lead is 
probably from k, kn., 10, 9, with or without small, 
or from ace, qu., 10, 9. It must not be forgotten, 
however, that 9 is what is called a doubtful card, 
and that with exceptional hands 9 may be led from 
three cards." The system which until now could 
be easily learned and understood is all unsystem- 
atized. Original, genuine leads are negatived, 
ignored, and the one card that means nothing is 
substituted as a lead. This is whist of a peculiar 
nature, certainly. " A doubtful card ! " — why not 
the kn. at the head of three, the 7, the 6 ? Are 
they not doubtful cards ? 

But what is to be done if this anomaly is led ? 
" With ace, qu., and any number of small cards, B. 
(partner) should play the queen. If the lead is 



The 9. 121 

from the usual k., kn., 10, 9, no harm is done 
[en passant, this doing no harm must be very sat- 
isfactory to B. on his partner's original lead, not 
having the remotest idea what the lead means or 
what he shall next do to benefit the leader], and 
there is an off-chance that the lead was an excep- 
tional one from k., kn., 9, or k., 10, 9." Off-chance 
is good when applied to an original lead, especially 
when complimenting a system whose first leads 
are not to be mistaken. " With ace, qu., only, B. 
should put on the ace, so as not to block the suit. 
A. must hold the king." Must 1 why " must " ? 
You have authorized the original lead from any 
three cards. If B., all uncertain what his largely 
licensed partner means, puts on the ace, he may at 
once give up three tricks or more in that suit. Of 
course if A. leads 9 he should hold k. and kn., and 
B.'s play of ace would be correct, and the qu. should 
be returned ; but B. has no call whatever to play in 
this manner when by the Cavendish mathematics 
his guess-work even is of no avail as to what the 
lead may mean. "If B. holds the qu. and one, 
two, or three small cards, he should play the queen, 
as there is an off-chance that the lead is from k., 
10, 9, or from ace, 10, 9." Here are two more 
off-chances upon an original lead. "But with qu. 
and four small ones B. should pass the 9, so as not 



122 Whist Universal. 

to have his own suit blocked, the great probabil- 
ity being that the lead was from k., kn., 10, 9." 
Now if Cavendish will tell us why the probability 
exists that A. holds the above combination because 
B. has the queen and four cards, but not if B. has 
the queen and three cards, we shall be grateful. 
Also by what manner of reasoning there is or can 
be any probability, but only a single chance, of A. 
holding any given combination whatever of which 
the 9 is a factor. 

" If after the first trick B. remains with 8, 7, and 
one small card, he gains no advantage by return- 
ing the 8." Assuredly not ; nor by returning any- 
thing else ! 

This wonderful card the 9, which can be led in 
Short Whist as an original lead, off-chances inclu- 
sive, from eight respective combinations, we pro- 
pose to give a habitation and a home. It will 
always abide with the king and knave, and when- 
ever it goes early upon duty it will proclaim its 
loyalty with no uncertain sound. 



Finesse. 123 



FINESSE. 

The rules for lead and follow have changed; but 
the law of finesse, the strength and beauty of whist, 
has never changed, will never change. Descha- 
pelles and Clay put the fact on record that throw- 
ing the lead, even by what seemed to be the loss of 
a trick, was equivalent to a gain ; for the rest of the 
play could then more easily be managed to advan- 
tage. Clay's orders for finesse are as valuable to- 
day as they were in his time : — 

"With ace, kn., 10, and one or two others in 
trumps, I cannot think it wrong, unless there is 
obvious reason for making sure of two rounds in 
the suit, to finesse the 10. It is a finesse against 
two cards, the king and the queen ; but unless both 
these cards are with your left-hand adversary, you 
have preserved to yourself the tenace. 

" I have spoken of the finesse in the high cards ; 
but it must be remembered that when these cards 
have been played, the finesse of the lowest, — say of 
the 5, with the 5 and the 7 against the 6, — is as 
valuable as that of the qu. from ace, qu., against 
the k. 



124 Whist Universal. 

" In order to finesse, it is not necessary that you 
should hold the best and third or fourth best, etc., 
of a suit. Finesse is possible, and may be forced 
on you, with almost any combination of cards, se- 
quences excepted, — say with k., km, against qu., 
the ace being in; or with qu., 10, against the kn., 
the ace and k. being both in ; or with combinations 
of less importance. 

"I would offer the following opinions, not I 
fancy very generally entertained, for the considera- 
tion of experienced players. With ordinary hands 
finesse may be deep at their commencement, should 
contract as they go on, until in the last four or 
five cards there is scarcely any opportunity left for 
finesse, properly so called. 

" When weak in trumps, — say even with no 
trumps at all, — finesse deeply in the suit in which 
you believe your partner to be weak, in order, as 
long as you can, to protect him from a force. 

" Again, say that you have led from k., 9, and 
small cards, and that your partner having taken 
with qu. returns to you the 8. You know that he 
has returned to you the best card he holds in 
the suit, and that you have to contend not only 
against the ace, which you know to be behind you, 
but against the kn. and 10, neither of which cards 
can be with your partner. The position is difficult, 



Finesse. 125 



but there is no help for it. You must pass your 
partner's 8. It is a finesse against two cards, but 
one or possibly both of them may be with your 
right-hand adversary, in each of which cases you 
will have played to advantage ; and even in the 
worst case, that you find both kn. and 10 along 
with the ace behind you, you have yet retained 
your king guarded, and have not given up the 
entire command of the suit. 

" This leads to the consideration of another 
numerous class of cases, which although not unsim- 
ilar cannot strictly be called finesse. Take the 
same cards as given in the last example. Your 
partner equally takes with the qu. and returns the 
8, but your right-hand adversary renounces the 
suit. You now know that the ace, 10, and kn. are 
all three behind you, and it is true that there is no 
finesse against a hand which has none of the suit 
played. Still, you would do very wrong to play 
your king ; you must pass your partner's 8, and you 
still hold your k. guarded, which prevents your 
left-hand adversary from going on with the suit 
without either giving up its command or forcing 
his partner. Your king thus guarded may still be 
of great value to you, as your partner will certainly 
not continue the suit, and your right-hand adver- 
sary cannot. To have played your king would 



126 Whist Universal. 

have given the entire command of the snit to your 
left-hand adversary, than which no position could 
be worse. Cases similar to this are of frequent oc- 
currence, and should be treated on this principle." 

The simplest form of finesse (one of two with 
which the general player is acquainted) is finesse 
proper. A. leads a low card ; B., holding ace and 
qu., plays qu., risking the k. on his left. 

The other is the obligatory finesse. A. leads a 
small card from qu., 10, etc. B. takes with k., and 
returns the lead with a small card. The ace must 
be on A.'s left, perhaps also the kn. ; but it cannot 
be helped. A. must play the 10. 

'Now, there are four more modes of finesse un- 
known to the general player. They are — 

(1) The returned finesse. 

(2) The finesse by trial. 

(3) The finesse on the partner. 

(4) The finesse by speculation. 

It will be readily understood that these varie- 
ties were of Deschapelles' invention, and that they 
are applicable especially to Long-Whist play be- 
cause that calls for the use of all the cards, and 
these finesses look from the opening of the hand 
to its close for their results. We give a brief 
definition of the several forms as practised by 
him, who regarded his own game as one of signal 



Finesse. 127 



(conversation by the cards) and finesse. The dar- 
ing and enterprise of his j)lay wonld utterly discon- 
cert the routine players of our time, as it is said to 
have frighted England's "isle from her propriety." 

The returned finesse is made upon the lead of 
left-hand adversary. When being played through, 
a card is thrown that it may be he cannot take 
because he has already thrown, not his third or 
fourth best, but his best. Your partner may be 
in a condition to take this trick, and it remains 
with you to make the finesse if you care to 
do so. 

The finesse hy trial is when right-hand adversary 
has led, and you play a card on which one much 
higher is thrown by left-hand opponent. The 
next time the suit is led you play a lower one, it 
may be, for third hand has shown his strength. 

The forced finesse upon partner is when you 
make him take the trick, perhaps of his own suit, 
that you may hold command ; and also the instant 
following third play, — perhaps of trumps if you 
have called them, or if the fall of the cards has 
revealed your want of them. 

The finesse hy speculation is when holding sure 
tricks in other suits, and even it may be in the 
suit played, you pass, that partner may over- 
take or over-trump third-hand player; and it is 



128 Whist Universal. 

when you lead to partner a suit expecting him to 
take and return to you another of which he holds 
the best that will be trumped by your right-hand 
opponent and over-trumped by you, or else will 
make, and partner will have another lead. 

In one of his chapters upon the "Sublime 
Game," Deschapelles says : " The difference which 
exists between the beginning and the end of a 
deal of whist is incalculable. It sets out in 
ignorance and obscurity, guided by instinct and 
chance, supported by invention and talent; it 
finishes in experience, guided by positive evidence 
and supported by the light of mathematical deduc- 
tion. A deal at whist may therefore be consid- 
ered as a graduated scale of intelligence, beginning 
with the inventive faculty and ending with math- 
ematical demonstration; and we may easily im- 
agine that the intellectual powers are not unem- 
ployed during its continuation. Every single 
faculty of the mind, one by one, is successively 
engaged in the operation; every class of mental 
agency, and every shade of intelligence are in 
some degree called into action ; and the contin- 
ual change in the faculty employed prevents too 
laborious exertion of intellect, keeps up excite- 
ment to the end, and produces the highest degree 
of pleasure. 



Finesse. 129 



" To explain this more clearly, and following the 
degree of division adopted by geographers and 
natural philosophers, we shall divide a deal of 
whist into two parts. Let us suppose a parabola 
described by the fall of a cannon-ball, whose cul- 
minating point shall be the seventh or odd trick. 
On this side of the above point invention is the 
ruling agent of the game; beyond it, calculation. 
Attention and memory are seated at its base ; and 
sagacity placed at its summit portions out' the 
task, invokes by turns all the instruments which 
contribute to its completion, urges on or circum- 
scribes their endeavors, and prescribes to them at 
the appointed time the repose necessary to main- 
tain their vigor." (Page 76 et seq.) 



130 Whist Universal. 



SIGNALLING. 

The term is usually applied to a deliberate call 
for trumps made by the play of an unnecessarily 
high card followed by a lower one of the same 
suit, and styled "the trump-signal." "You did 
not see my signal/' is the common complaint of 
an amateur to his partner. If he knew the game 
and what had best be done with the cards he 
holds, perhaps he would not have made a signal. 
But calling for trumps is at once the plainest and 
cheapest of signals with which whist abounds. 
Whist is a game of signals ; and the main secret 
is, that the novice in his anxiety about the trump- 
signal for which he watches so closely, or which 
he may be so anxious to give, fails to see by the 
fall of the cards the many real signals that to a 
good player are of much greater worth. The 
trump-signal is much used however by players of 
Short and Five-Point Whist. Very many players 
of the long game seldom use it. A fine player in 
Hartford says, "I will manage to play trumps 
when I want them played. More harm comes 
from posting your adversary by a trump-signal 



Signalling, 131 



than good results from getting them led, even 
when you succeed in doing so." There can be 
no doubt that the trump-signal is too much used. 
When an honour over which a tenace is held is 
turned on the right, a signal to call a trump 
through such opponent may be of much avail; 
and where a player holds all the high cards in 
his adversary's , suit, or when he or his partner 
has an established suit that may be trumped, 
there is good reason for the call. 

The best signal for trumps is made by discard of 
an 8, or of a higher card of another plain suit than 
that led. Unless the card so thrown be traceable 
because of previous play, as one to be parted with 
for another definite purpose, its discard can be for 
no other reason than to ask for a trump lead. 

On the call for or play of trumps by partner, 
having none, the discard signal is from the weak 
suit ; by the opponent, from the strong suit. 

The holding of tierce or quart to ace, is signalled 
by throwing away ace. 

One of the best of the signals is that of Ameri- 
can invention, trumps having been played (p. 78). 

The echo is another (p. 139). 

The discard of the second-best card of a suit, 
showing no more, is another (p. 90). 

Second hand passing a doubtful card signifies 



132 Whist Universal. 

more than three trumps, or three that had best 
not be broken, and either second or fourth hand 
refusing to trump a sure trick makes a positive 
signal for trumps. 

The plain-suit echo is not a signal, but a delib- 
erate order of play. 

In other modes of play except Long Whist, the 
law allows the last trick taken and turned to be 
again exhibited, and the act of leaning over to 
partner's or adversary's table of tricks and expos- 
ing it, in order to ascertain what shoujd be known 
by the meddler without the necessity of such exhi- 
bition, is of most common occurrence. This prac- 
tice deserves to be ridiculed by every proper player 
of the game. The action of the curiosity man in- 
terferes with the play of the whole table, disconcerts 
three men to gratify his inquisitiveness, and hinders 
by interruption the calculation of those who have 
kept in mind what has been played, as the blun- 
derer should have done, and who now are planning 
for what is to come. 

The best players, however, will not take ad- 
vantage of the license which they know is pro- 
vided only for the benefit of the inattentive and 
weak. Drayson makes a manly protest against 
the practice, saying, "The longer I play whist, 
the more I regret that Eule 91 exists, and that 



Signalling. 133 



it is at all possible to see the cards of a trick 
turned and quitted. Some players have a habit 
of waiting until the last trick is turned and 
quitted, and then either look at it themselves 
or ask that it be shown them. This does not 
occur once or twice during an evening's play, but 
is almost perpetually taking place. More espe- 
cially does it happen when a player has led the 
king of a suit and follows with the ace, and his 
partner drops the 3 or 4. A careless player will 
then ask to look at the last trick ; and if he 
finds a 5 in it, he hesitates and reflects, and 
probably dashes out a trump, imagining that his 
partner has asked for trumps by playing first an 
unnecessarily high card. I once heard one of 
the best whist-players I ever met, remark that 
he ' could consider no man anything but a second- 
rate player who, unless his attention was diverted 
from the game, ever asked more than once during 
a rubber to look at the last trick ; ' and he added, 
' a first-class player scarcely ever asks to see the 
last trick.' A player who is wasting his time in 
looking at or pulling about his own cards during 
the play of the hand, necessarily fails to see who 
plays certain cards. In the vain hope of obtaining 
such intelligence, the player looks at the last trick, 
and commences a condition of mental confusion 



134 Whist Universal. 

which continues during the whole hand. To avoid 
such a habit, or such a result, never take your 
eyes off the table while each player is playing his 
cards ; observe each card, and draw your conclusions 
at once on its fall. You will then never need 
ask to look at the last trick, and will have adopted 
one of the most essential proceedings to make 
yourself a whist-player." 

The foregoing is the best passage in Drayson's 
book ; and if it could only be effectual to the abo- 
lition of the rule in England, he would merit and 
receive the thanks of every good whist-player. 



Getting in a Little Trump. 135 



GETTING IN A LITTLE TRUMP. 

Perhaps one of the most common of plans, and 
certes the most ordinary of plays, is that of labor- 
ing to " get in a little trump " by a hand poor in 
them, but rich in the possession of a plain-suit 
singleton. Avoiding the anathema that would be 
evoked by first leading the one card of a suit, the 
player shows his partner that he has several cards 
of another, and follows at once with the singleton 
lead. His cards so played declare, " My first lead 
was from my long suit, the second from my short 
one, which latter lead I have made purposely so 
that I may get in a little trump before the oppo- 
nents draw it from me." If his plan succeeds, the 
card that he desires to trump being led from any 
quarter, his small trump takes a trick, the result 
of which accomplishment he of course considers as 
a gain, and he is happy. 

It is quite true that the business of the player 
is to take tricks ; but it is also true that the man- 
agement of the cards for the purpose of taking 
them is very different in the hands of different 
players, and it is equally true that this mode of 



136 Whist Universal. 

play belongs to the lowest order. In the matter 
of decision as to whether or not a trick is gained, 
the circumstances are to be considered. It may- 
be that the player, if indeed he has not done in- 
jury to his own hand, may have wrecked that of 
his partner. The suit of which he held the single- 
ton may be that of his adversary, but his partner 
may be strong in it. If he has but a trump and 
another singleton, he must have two long suits. 
How much better to have opened one of these! 
After his singleton is played and his trump has 
gone, he has told the adversaries of his poverty in 
those two suits, and that he has quantity not 
quality in the other two. He has made his in- 
stant seizure of a trick, but may not the act be an 
expensive experiment ? He argues that his oppo- 
nents would have played trumps, taken his away, 
and that now he has saved it. They might have 
done so, but in the effort they might have lost a 
trick to his partner, which because of this explana- 
tory play they manage now to gain. Moreover, his 
left-hand adversary can now play up to his hand. 
Both adversaries know where the low cards of the 
long suits are, and can force his partner, or with 
high cards take the tricks. He thinks that they 
could have done so if he had not made his trump ; 
and so they might have done, but they could not 



Getting in a Little Trump. 137 

Lave counted the hands as now they can. Paying 
no attention to the interest of his partner, he has 
demoralized the game of both. It is more than 
probable that if his cards had been properly played 
from the first, a trick would have been made in 
the plain suits that must now be lost because of 
advantage taken of the condition the false play 
has imposed. The fact that he held but one card 
each of the trump and of the plain suit suggests 
that his partner may be strong in one of these, 
perhaps in both. Perhaps his partner wanted to 
have trumps played to him. He cannot know 
and does not care; he has succeeded in "getting in 
his little trump ! " 

As an example of this style of play and its 
result, — a small spade turned on his right, A. tak- 
ing up ace, k, and three small clubs, the kn. of dia- 
monds and 9 of spades and six small hearts, threw 
the k. of clubs that took the trick and showed his 
long suit ; next the kn. of diamonds to show the 
weak one. His partner, who held ace and qu. and 
two small diamonds, passed the kn., which was 
taken by the k. D., who had 10 and 9 and 7 of 
diamonds, and who desired queen to be thrown by 
his partner if C. had it to be out of his (D.'s) way, 
led a diamond back. A. did not know if this was 
or was not under-play ; at any rate he played the 



138 Whist Universal. 

suit to trump it, as his partner (B.) could get in his 
ace if he had it later; and as he (A.) wished to 
" get in his little trump," he played the 9 of spades 
and took the trick. He then played ace of clubs 
and read his partner's call. The ace took, but he 
had no more trumps. Having, by his crazy notion 
of getting in a little trump, spoiled his own hand 
and ruined his partner's chances, he led a heart. 
If he had played his k. of clubs and followed with 
the ace, he could have made answer to his part- 
ner's call. The 9 of spades led by him, passed by 
his partner, would have drawn the ace. D., who 
held k, 10, 9, and 7 of diamonds, would have led 
the 7 ; A.'s kn. would have taken the trick, leaving 
the tenace in his partner's hand. But the de- 
lighted A., who had got in his little trump, now 
played a heart to C.'s best suit, who led a club 
for D. to ruff, and make the wreck complete. 

This is an illustrative lead of a singleton second- 
play in order to get in a little trump. They who 
fancy that sort of play may run out . the game at 
their leisure. It is the worst-mannered imitation- 
whist that is played. 



The Echo. 139 



THE ECHO. 

More is implied by this term than the mere 
answer to a call for trumps. It is quite as likely 
to be a reply to what was unintentionally an- 
nounced. It can be a sign that is made at the 
same time that it is a response to something 
inferred or shown. " You, saw my signal," says 
the trump-caller. "Yes, and you saw my 60110," 
says his partner. This is its commonest inter- 
pretation. But after a hand has been well played, 
A. says, " I thought that we might lose the odd 
trick. I could not trace the iO until I saw your 
echo on D.'s lead ; then I felt sure that if he led 
the suit again, your 10 and my thirteenth trump 
would give it to us." 

It is important that the echo should be made 
at the earliest practicable moment The readiest 
means for making it must be accorded. A. calling 
for trumps must be at once told by B. at any 
sacrifice of suit that he, B., has four. If the 
trumps are out, and either A or C. or D. lead a 
suit which having run to the exhaustion of the 
master cards becomes a strength in B.'s hands, 



140 Whist Universal. 

B. inust announce his coming usefulness by be- 
ginning the echo. If A. leads from a long suit 
which is also B.'s best, or if he is strong, in it, 
he must tell by the retention of his smaller card 
or cards that he echoes strength. 

The echo in plain suits that indicates four 
trumps is easy to make. The echo in trumps is 
usually easy, although the fact that partner may 
hold three high trumps and one very low one may 
hinder the sacrifice (if it really seems to be such) 
of one of those high cards. But the plain-suit 
echo which distinguishes whether C. does or does 
not follow suit to the ace originally led by A., but 
does not care when A. leads queen or kn. or 10 
or 9, whether C. follows or trumps, is more diffi- 
cult of management. If a king or any card lower 
than the 9 is originally led, if B. does not attempt 
to win the first trick he plays his lowest card, 
whatever number of cards he holds in the suit. 
But when ace is led, if C. follows suit, B. holding 
four cards exactly of that suit retains his lowest 
card, — playing of course the second best if he 
wishes to call for trumps, or the third best if he 
does not. 1 

If the first card thrown by A. the leader is a 
qu., kn., 10, or 9, B. holding four cards of that suit, 
and unable or unwilling to take the trick, retains 



. The Echo. 141 



his lowest card. If the suit is continued by A. 
or C. or D., and B. cannot take the trick, he plays 
his middle card. If played again whether B. has 
or has not taken the second trick, he plays his 
highest or lowest card of the suit according to the 
fall of the cards ; but if he plays his lowest he has 
not called for trumps. If B. is required to return 
the lead to his partner he plays his highest card, 
no matter if he holds two more or three more of 
the suit. B. having retained the lowest card 
upon the first play of his partner, may upon some 
after-play discard from the suit originally led : if 
he does so he throws not the lowest card, but the 
middle card. The fall of the small card does not in- 
dicate a call for trumps, because it must be under- 
stood that when playing this echo B. is playing 
not for his own suit, although he holds four cards 
iu it, but for his partner's suit, because his partner 
originally held five cards in it. The fall of the 
cards will determine whether A. did or did not 
hold five or more cards of the suit that he began 
with, — either qu., kn., 10, or 9, — while at any 
rate he upon his original lead of ace did have 
four more. 

The echo properly played and properly watched 
by the partner holding the suit in which it is made 
of account, may prevent the opportunity being 



142 Whist Universal. 

given to the opponents to trump, may induce the 
lead of trumps for the safety of the suit, or may 
convey surest information that a force may be 
effective against a strong trump-hand. The echo 
is a reply to a player who doubtingly inquires. 
By the card that he throws he says, "In this suit 
do you think you can give help ? " And echo 
answers, "Can give help." 



Common-Sense Whist. 143 



COMMON SENSE WHIST. 
Game by Lewis. 

Mr. F. H. Lewis writes to Mr. Proctor : " Success 
at whist depends upon the faculty of combination 
and the rapidity and accuracy with which correct 
inferences can be drawn from the fall of the cards ; 
and if information is to be withheld because the 
adversaries may make use of it for the purposes of 
their strategy, the whole science of the game is 
gone. But there may be and frequently is what 
I call an abuse of uniformity, where in order that 
his hand may be counted or his cards known, a 
player will, under all conditions and without ref- 
erence to the score, play according to conven- 
tional rule. Good players will however frequently 
deviate from recognized play, and indulge in what 
I hope I may be permitted to call the common- 
sense of whist. 

" To illustrate the last observation, I send you a 
game in which I played A. It will be observed 
that I had ace to five and did not lead the ace, 
and that I had five trumps and did not lead one. 



144 Wkist Universal. 

Both conditions were combined in my hand which 
might have induced one set of players to lead a 
trump notwithstanding the knave turned, and 
another set to lead the ace of the suit. In my 
judgment either play, although in the direction of 
uniformity, would have been bad whist, taking 
the score into consideration." 

The hands are as follows, — the score standing 
A.B. 3, CD. 2 ; knave of hearts turned : — 

SPADES. HEARTS. CLUBS. DIAMONDS. 

A., ace, 8, 6, 3, 2 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 ace 7, 2 

C, k., 10, 5 10, 5 8, 7, 5, 2 kn., 10, 9, 5 

B., qu., 9 8, 7 kn., 9, 6, 4 k., 8, 6,4, 3 

D., kn., 7, 4 ace, k.,qu.,kn. k., qu.. 10, 3 ace, qu. 

Let an ordinal player read those hands and 
decide in what manner A.B. are to make two by 
card. 

The Play. 

(The italicised card wins the trick.) 





A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


S. 3 


S.5 


S. qu. 


S. 7 


2. 


S. ace 


S. 10 


S. 9 


S. 4 


3. 


S. 2 


S. k. 


H. 7 


S. kn. 


4. 


H. 3 


H. 5 


H. 8 


K kn. 


5. 


C. ace 


C. 2 


C. 4 


C. k. 


6. 


H. 2 


H. 10 


C. 6 


H. qu. 


7. 


H. 4 


C. 5 


C. 9 


C. qu. 



Common-Sense Whist. 145 

A. begins his game as if his suit were not headed 
by the ace, leading fourth best. D. begins to sig- 
nal. B. returns A.'s suit in hope of making a 
trump on its return to him, — a very silly play, but 
A. had best take such advantage of it as he may. 
A. plays the smallest card of five, and B. sees that 
A. must have numerical strength in trumps. He 
leads through the signal. D. clears his club suit, 
and thinks he is sure of the game. A. leads a 
trump to draw two for one ; of course B. can have 
no more. At the seventh play D. should play his 
sure trump, follow with the best, and then have 
thrown queen of clubs. 

A. wins the trick, and follows up the spade. 
A. C. B. D. 

8. S.S C. 7 D. 3 C. 3 

C. throws a club, to say that he has not the kn. 
D. refuses to trump, but his game is gone. 

A. C. B. D. 

9. 8. 6 C. 8 D. 4 C. 10 

To this last lead of a spade D. throws his 10 of 
clubs, hoping for a diamond lead. A. falls into no 
such trap, but plays the losing trump. 

A. C. B. D. 

10. H. 6 D. 5 D. 6 Hh 

11. H. 9 D. 9 C. kn. H. ace 

12. D. 2 D. 10 D. 8 D. ace 

13. D. 7 D. kn. D.L D.qu. 



146 Whist Universal. 

A. throwing the lead into D.'s hand, of course 
makes for B. the diamond k. 
A.B. make two by cards. 

This game could not have been won if a con- 
ventional lead had been adopted. It was played 
with brains, and not by rule. The calculation as 
to what might be done with the cards held after 
the lead was thrown, as well as that which counted 
upon the possible strength of the adversary and 
his play, must be made and acted upon from the 
first. He had a good partner, and there was an 
error made by the opponent ; but the fact remains 
that by no other lead than the one made by him, 
the value of which he carefully weighed, could 
Mr. Lewis have won the game. 



Test Game. 147 



TEST GAME. 

What is always to be regretted by players who 
study whist and replay the hands that were errone- 
ously played, is that persons persistent ever in 
wrong leading will not give even a small portion 
of the time wasted in the excitement that their 
poor playing affords them, to examine the analysis 
of a test game. " I play whist to take the tricks," 
says your very brusque man who sees what is 
directly before and very near to him, but nothing 
beyond. You cannot talk him out of the notion 
that if he has one little trump and can get it 
in before it is called for, he has made a trick. 
His argument to him is unanswerable : " I should 
have lost it, should n't I ? The opponents would 
have drawn it, and now I have made it. I had but 
one, and instead of giving it up and losing a trick, 
here is my trick made." He cannot understand 
the better management of the cards that form 
his hand for the benefit of his partner, or for his 
own advantage. He can get this one trick, — that 
he knows ; and as he sees no chance of getting 
any more, or at any rate sees the chance of getting 



148 Whist Universal. 

that, at whatever cost of result to anything or 
anybody, he makes his little trump. 

We print a hand that was played in this way, 
and follow the false play by the correct play, of 
the same hand, to show how easily the game that 
was thrown away by the poor player was won by 
the good one. 

The odd card in this hand was needed to win a 
series of rubbers at Five-Point Whist, in which the 
games stood exactly even. 

D. turned the 7 of spades ; each side had won 
a treble, and the game stood 4 to 4. A.'s hand 
was qu., km, 10, 9, 4, and 3 of diamonds; k., 
8, 6, 4, and 3 of clubs ; 6 of spades ; and 8 of 
hearts. 

A. properly leads the qu. of diamonds, on which 
C. begins a call, playing the 6. The qu. takes, and 

A. leads his single heart, the 8. C. throws the 9, 
beginning a second call ; B. the ace, and D. the 2. 

B. strong in trumps, to give A. the chance he 
seeks, returns the 5 of hearts ; D. plays qu., A. the 
6 of spades, and C. the 4 of hearts. A. leads the 
kn. of diamonds ; C. throws the 5, closing a double 
call, B. the ace, and D. trumps with the 4 of spades 
and leads the 7. A. delighted with the success of 
his ruse exclaims, " Oh, I Ve got mine in ! " and 
plays the 3 of clubs, C. the k. and B. the 2 



Test Game. 149 



of spades. C. leads ace of spades, and B. plays the 
3 ; D. the 2 of clubs, and A. the 4 of clubs. The 
whole game is now open to C, who reads B.'s hand 
of trumps and clubs. C. plays kn. of hearts, B. 
the 3, and D. the k. ; and A. the 3 of diamonds. D. 
follows with the 10 of hearts, A. with the 4 of 
diamonds, C. the 8 of diamonds, and B. may trump 
or not as he pleases. If he does not trump, D. 
continues the hearts ; in any event C. knows that 
*B. can have but three of the remaining tricks. 
The smart singleton has made the little trump and 
trick, and lost the rubber. The whole game 
follows : — 



A. 


c. 


B. 


D. 


qu. d. 


6d. 


7d. 


2d. 


8h. 


9h. 


ace h. 


2h. 


6 s. 


4 h. 


5 h. 


qu. h. 


kn. d. 


5d. 


ace d. 


4 s. 


3 c. 


k. s. 


2 s. 


7 s. 


4 c. 


ace s. 


3 s. 


2 c. 


3d. 


kn. h. 


3h. 


k. h. 


4d. 


8d. 


5 s. 


10 h. 


6 c. 


ace c. 


qu. c. 


5 c. 


9 d. 


k. d. 


10 s. 


7 c. 


k. c. 


8 s. 


kn. c. 


10 c. 


8c. 


9 s. 


qu. s. 


6 h. 


10 d. 


hi. 8. 


9 c. 


7h. 



150 Whist Universal. 

The hand of A. lias been given. 

C. held ace, k., kn., 9, and 8 of spades ; kn., 9, 
and 4 of hearts ; ace of clubs ; k., 8, 6, and 5 of 
diamonds. 

B. held qu., 10, 5, 3, and 2 of spades; ace, 5,. 
and three of hearts ; qu., kn., and 9 of clubs ; ace 
and 7 of diamonds. 

D. held 7 and 4 of spades ; k, qu., 10, 7, 6, and 
2 of hearts ; 10, 7, 5, and 2 of clubs ; 2 of dia- 
monds. 

Now we will have a good player handle the 
same cards that A. held. He leads the qu. of dia- 
monds, C. 6, B. 7, D. 2. At once he sees that the 
k. and ace are not on his left, neither of them on 
his right, and probably not the ace on his left. 
With his strength, and with so good a suit of clubs 
to open, he had better let his partner manipulate 
the diamonds. He leads the 4 of clubs. C. must 
take this, and he is forthwith in a quandary. B. 
has played high in clubs and diamonds, and D. as 
low as possible. But C.'s best play is a trump, 
and he leads k., then ace. Another round will 
bring qu. or 10, and he follows with the 8. B. 
plays 10, risking kn. with 9 against, for D. cannot 
have the two cards. B. has now the club for a 
force; if not taken he plays another. His ace of 
hearts, qu. of spades, ace of diamonds, and small 



Test Game. 151 



spade must make ; and if the qu. of clubs is 
trumped, his partner's k. is good. 

The whole game follows, — B. compelling the 
surrender that correct play at the outset insured : 



A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


qu. d. 


6 d. 


7d. 


2 d. 


4 c. 


ace c. 


9 c. 


2 c. 


6 s. 


k. s. 


2 s. 


4 s. 


3 c. 


ace s. 


3 s. 


7 s. 


4d. 


8 s. 


10 s. 


2 h. 


6 c. 


9 5. 


qu. c. 


5 c. 


8h. 


kn. h. 


ace h. 


6 h. 


3d. 


kn. s. 


qu. s. 


7h. 


8 c. 


4h. 


hi. c. 


7 c. 


9d. 


5 cl. 


ace d. 

5 5. 


10 h. 



If the good player to whom we have intrusted 
the hand that A. threw away had not understood 
the situation of the cards by the fall in the first 
round, and instead of playing properly had thrown 
another diamond, the result would have been dis- 
astrous. For example : — 



A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


qu d. 


6d. 


7d. 


2d. 


9 d. 


5 d. 


ace d. 


4.5. 


6 s. 


h. s. 


2 s. 


7 s. 



152 Whist Universal. 



3 c. 


ace s. 


3 s. 


2 c. 


8h. 


kn. h. 


ace h. 


6h. 


4 c. 


ace c. 


qu. c. 


5 c. 


3d. 


9 h. 


3 h. 


qu. h. 


4d. 


4 h. 


5 h. 


h h. 


G c. 


8d. 


5 s. 


10 h. 


8c 


85. 


kn. c. 


7 c. 



If the average player would forego his rush to 
play cards at random, and study these three games 
for an hour, he would probably know more of 
whist than by his manner of practice he will be 
able in his lifetime to learn. 



The Laws of Whist. 153 



THE LAWS OF WHIST. 

It appears that the system of American Leads 
is applicable to each of the three methods by 
which whist is played. But why should there be 
three methods, and wherein do they differ ? Three 
reasons may be given for the dissimilarity that 
exists between the regulations of Long and Short 
Whist, — honours, stakes, and time. Probably 
everybody knows that the game of whist used to 
be played for ten points, — six by cards and four 
by honours, — and that in London it was cut in 
twain because with more chances in less time 
there could be more exchanges. Something to 
make it of interest, — from a dime to a ducat, 
from a pound to a palace, in accordance with the 
whim or the ability of respective players, — was 
put at hazard, dependent upon the quality of cards 
that were held and the skill of the players who 
held them. The honours in whist were and are 
a most essential feature in a game that must be 
brief to be interesting. The laws that govern 
such a game should be terse and definite, and 



154 Whist Universal. 

incapable of misconstruction. Nor would it appear 
difficult for a player versed in the game and fully 
aware of its requirements to frame a code that 
should be satisfactory to meet all emergencies. 
But the fact that the laws of Short Whist are 
"loosely worded" has been apparent to all Eng- 
land ever since they were adopted, as is evinced 
in the always occurring demands and decisions. 
Mathews said, "A rule established in England, 
good or bad, goes without change for generations." 
Inasmuch as the tenor of the orders <riven that 
are allowed to go unchanged influences the play 
of Five-point Whist in this country, there is much 
interest shown in the statements that Cavendish 
has frequently made in reference to their revision. 
It is but necessary to call attention to the wording 
of some of them to show that their compiler, Mr. 
Baldwin, was all unsuited to his self-imposed task, 
and perhaps that the august committee-men who 
acted upon their acceptance were more interested 
in the practical issues of their game than in the 
proper presentation of its vernacular. 

Law 16 says "the players are selected by cut- 
ting." The word " drawing " is not among rules 
or laws. Is not drawing illegal ? 

Law 44 (i.) declares " a misdeal unless the cards 



The Laws of Whist. 155 

are dealt in four packets." But they are not 
dealt into packets once in fifty times, but are 
scattered. The trump-card instead of being placed 
upon a packet is usually purposely thrown away 
from it. 

Law 44 (v.) reads : " It is a misdeal, should the 
dealer, under an impression that he has made a 
mistake, either count the cards on the table or the 
remainder of the pack." 

But suppose he counts the cards and asserts that 
he was not under such impression ? 

Law 44 (vi.) reads : " It is a misdeal, should the 
dealer deal two cards at once, or two cards to the 
same hand, and then deal a third; but if prior 
to dealing that third card the dealer can by alter- 
ing the position of one card only, rectify such 
error, he may do so." 

But suppose he alters the position of any one 
of all the cards that he has dealt ? 

Law 56 reads : " All exposed cards are liable to 
be called, — that is, any card in any way exposed 
above the table." 

But suppose the player shows his entire hand ? 

Law 56 (ii.) reads : "Any card in any way ex- 
posed on or above the table." 

When a player purposely spreads out back 
uppermost his last two or three cards on the 



156 Whist Universal. 

table, and the meaning of such action may be 
understood, does he not in any way expose 
them? 

Law 61 reads : " If a player who has rendered 
himself liable to have the highest or lowest of a 
suit called fails to play as desired, he incurs the 
penalty of a revoke." 

But suppose his partner renders him liable ? 

Law 85 says that " any one may demand that 
the cards be placed." The order is in the plural. 
Is not the question "Which is your card, partner? " 
or " Is yours the 9 ? " etc., illegal ? 

Cavendish has ridiculed the quibbling under 
the head of " misdeal," and censured the practice 
of trickery under " revoke." He cannot probably 
stop the talk from partner to partner, perhaps not 
do away with the absurd trick- turning. There 
are certain privileges which must form the license 
of the impulsive monetarily-interested man. 

The play of Short Whist in America, as in Eng- 
land, must accept the laws as they are, settle its 
own differences and make its own decisions. The 
Five-Point play in some places favors English rule, 
and the players keep the English score. The 
account of games is easily kept by means of the 
counter at the right of one of each of two partners, 



The Laws of Whist. 157 

and that of rubbers in a book provided for the pur- 
pose. The honours not being reckoned, the quick 
result of play is obtained by the allowable decla- 
ration of sure tricks enough to make the game. 
To those members of a club (and clubs that play 
the shorter games are mainly formed of such) who 
are desirous to play, the right of entrance to a 
table is an instantly accepted privilege, and the 
choice or change of partners is effected by the 
simple cut of the cards. 

There are many players of Five-Point Whist 
who for club purposes form their tables of six 
persons and keep their game by English score ; 
who adopt the American Leads, and obey the 
American laws of play. 

The laws of Short Whist are very many, the 
intent being to provide for the adjustment of 
disagreements that as a consequence of the modus 
operandi of the play are liable to arise. The laws 
verbatim from the Club Code may be found in any 
issue of any English whist-book. The Pocket 
Laws that we print are to the same effect, a com- 
pilation and arrangement by Cavendish, somewhat 
better than the original. They are intended to 
supply in a convenient form an authority for 
determining questions which may arise in the 
course of play. 



158 Whist Universal. 

The laws of Long Whisfc are few, since there 
is no incentive to discussion. The penalty for 
transgression is of the same nature in all cases 
and because of compulsory attention there can be 
little call for its enforcement. As we treat of the 
adaptation of American Leads to both methods of 
play, it is proper to place side by side the govern- 
ing regulations of the two games. 



Laws of Short Whist. 159 



LAWS OF SHOET WHIST. 

Formation of Table. 

1. If more than four candidates assemble, the 
players are selected by cutting, — those first in the 
room having in strictness the preference. The six 
lowest belong to the table ; the four lowest play 
the first rubber (vide Law 8). 

2. Should less than six assemble, fresh candi- 
dates have the right of entry in the order of their 
arrival. 

3. A table is full with six players. Should a 
seventh cut, or should a seventh arrive, he does 
not belong to the table (vide Law 1). But if one 
of the original six leaves, the seventh has the next 
right of entry. 

4. A fresh candidate who desires to play the 
next rubber must declare in, before any of the 
players have cut for the purpose of commencing 
such rubber, or of cutting out. 

Cutting. 

5. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card. 

6. All must cut from the same pack. 

7. Should a player expose more than one card 
in cutting, he must cut again. 



160 Whist Universal. 



Cutting for Partners. 

8. Should the players have been selected by 
cutting {vide Law 1), they cut again for partners. 

9. In cutting for partners, the two highest play 
against the two lowest. The lowest has the deal 
and the choice of seats and cards ; he must abide 
by his first selection. If the two lowest cut cards 
of equal value, they cut again for deal. 

10. If two players cut intermediate cards of 
equal value, those two cut again for partners. 
JExample : a three, two sixes, and a knave are cut ; 
the two sixes cut again, and the lowest plays with 
the three. Thus if the second cut consists of a 
king and a queen, the queen plays with the three. 
If at the second cut a lower card than the three is 
cut, the three retains its privileges as the lowest 
(vide Law 9). 

11. If three players cut cards of equal value, 
those three cut again. If the fourth cut the 
highest card, the two lowest of the new cut are 
partners. If the fourth cut the lowest card, he 
is the dealer ; and the two highest of the new cut 
are partners. 

Cutting Out. 

12. At the end of a rubber, should any candi- 
dates be waiting to come in, the players who have 
played the greatest number of consecutive rubbers 



Laws of Short WhisL 161 

are out. Should all have played an equal num- 
ber, they cut to decide which are to go out. The 
highest are out. 

13. If a player quits the table when it is not 
his turn to go out, only one of the other players 
can be called on to retire ; as only two players can 
enter at a time, if two of the original players wish 
to remain in. 

Formation of Fresh Tables. 

14. A player who belongs to one table {vide 
Law 1) has no right to enter another, if the re- 
quired complement of players can be procured 
from candidates who have not played. 

15. Should a player belonging to one table cut 
into another, he belongs to the table at which he 
last played. 

16. If a player leaves a table and so breaks it 
up, the remaining players have the prior right to 
him of entering any other table. 

Shuffling. 

17: The pack must not be shuffled (a) below 
the table ; nor (h) so as to expose the face of any 
card ; nor (c) during the play of the hand ; nor (cl), 
except the pack is new, by dealing it into packets, 
nor across the table. 

18. Each player has a right to shuffle once only, 
— (a) prior to a deal ; (b) prior to a fresh deal 
11 



1 62 Whist Universal. 

(vide Law 23) ; and (c) before a fresh cut (vide 
Law 22). 

19. The dealer's partner must collect the cards 
of the dormant pack. He has the first right to 
shuffle that pack. 

20. The dealer has a right to a final shuffle (not- 
withstanding Law 18). Should he expose a card 
in shuffling, he may be required to re-shuffle. 

Cutting to the Dealer. 

21. In cutting to the dealer, not less than four 
cards must be cut from the top, and not less than 
four must be left in the bottom packet. The 
player who has to cut, having once separated 
the pack must abide by that cut. 

22. If in cutting to the dealer, or in re-uniting 
the separated packets, a card is exposed, or if there 
is any confusion of the cards, or doubt as to the 
place where the pack was separated, there must 
be a fresh cut. 

Dealing. 

23. When there is a fresh deal the same dealer 
deals again ; when there is a mis-deal, the deal is 
forfeited to the adversaries. There must be a 
fresh deal if (a) during the deal, or during the 
play of a hand, the pack is found to be incorrect 
or imperfect (vide Law 73) ; if (b) during the deal 
any card except the last is found to be faced in 
the pack. 



Laws of Short Whist. 163 

24 If a card is exposed during the deal, the 
side not in fault have a right to look at it, and 
the option of calling a fresh deal (except as pro- 
vided in Law 27). If a fresh deal does not take 
place, the exposed card cannot be called. 

25. If the dealer happens to see the trump- 
card during the deal, the adversaries may also see 
it, and may call a fresh deaL 

26. {Vide Law 27). It is a mis-deal {vide Law 
23) if {a) the dealer shuffles after the pack is cut 
with his consent ; if (b) the dealer omits to have 
the pack cut, and the adversaries discover the 
error before the trump-card is turned, and before 
looking at their cards ; if (c) the cards are not 
dealt in regular rotation, beginning with the 
player to the dealer's left ; if {d) the cards are not 
dealt one at a time, except that if two cards are 
dealt together to the same hand the dealer may 
rectify his error prior to dealing a third card ; if 
{e) the dealer counts the cards on the table or 
those undealt in his hand ; if (/) the dealer places 
the turn-up card face downward on one of the 
hands ; if (g) the trump-card does not come in its 
regular order to the dealer, the pack being perfect ; 
if Qi) any hand has less than thirteen cards, and 
any other hand the corresponding surplus, even 
though the hand has been partly played out. (If 
the other hands have not the corresponding sur- 
plus, Law 35 comes into operation). 



164 Whist Universal. 

27. If the adversaries touch their cards during 
the deal, prior to the dealer's partner having done 
so, they lose their right to call a fresh deal (vide 
Law 24) ; and if the dealer commits any of the 
errors mentioned in Law 26, he does not lose the 
deal, but is entitled to deal over again. But if 
during the deal a player touches his cards, the 
adversaries may afterward do the same, without 
losing the benefit of a mis-deal or their privilege 
of calling a fresh deal, should the occasion arise. 

28. If the adversaries interrupt the dealer (as 
by questioning the score, or asserting that it is 
not his deal, and fail to establish such claim), and 
the dealer commits any of the errors mentioned in 
Law 26, he does not lose his deal. 

29. If the dealer deals out of turn, or with the 
wrong pack, he may be stopped before the trump- 
card is turned ; but otherwise the deal stands 
good. 

30. If a player takes his partners deal, and mis- 
deals, the latter loses his deal ; and the adversary 
next in rotation to the player who ought to have 
dealt, then deals. 

The Tukn-up Card. 

31. (Vide also Law 26, paragraphs / and g.) 
The dealer is bound to leave the turn-up card face 
upward on the table till it is his turn to play, 
when he may mix it with his other cards. After 



Laws of Short Whist. 165 

this, no one has a right to be informed what card 
was turned up, nor who dealt; but any player 
may be told what the trump-suit is. 

32. If the trump-card is left on the table after 
the first trick is turned and quitted, it is liable to 
be called. {Note : this penalty is never enforced). 

33. If the dealer takes the trump-card into his 
hand before it is his turn to play, he may be re- 
quired to show it; if he shows a wrong card, that 
card may be called {vide Laws 43, 45). If he 
declares himself unable to recollect the trump- 
card, he may be required to play {a) his highest 
or (b) his lowest trump at any time during the 
hand {vide Law 75). 

34. If a player names the trump-card during 
the play of the hand, he is liable to have {a) 
his highest or {b) his lowest trump called {vide 
Law 75). 

Playing with the Wrong Number of Cards. 

35. Every player, before he plays, is bound to 
count that he holds thirteen cards. If a player 
plays to the first trick holding less than thirteen 
cards, and the other players have their right num- 
ber, the deal stands good. The player who has 
played with less than thirteen cards is as answer- 
able for any revoke he may have made as though 
the missing card had been in his hand. He may 
search the other pack for it {vide Law 26, para- 



1 66 Whist Universal. 

graph h, for the rule when the other players have 
not their right number of cards, and Laws 36, 49, 
and 50 for the rule respecting redundancies or 
deficiencies which accrue during the play; and 
Law 73, for the rule respecting imperfection of 
the pack). 

36. If a player takes into the hand dealt to 
him a card belonging to the other pack, the adver- 
saries may call a fresh deal. 

Leading out of Turn. 

37. ( Vide also Laws respecting playing out of 
turn, Nos. 41, 42.) If any player leads out of 
turn, the adversaries may call (vide Laws 43, 45) 
the card led in error; or they may call a. suit 
(vide Laws 40 and 75) from the offender or his 
partner, when it is next the turn of that side to 
lead. It follows that if a player leads when it is 
his partner's turn, the adversaries can call a suit 
from the right player. If they allow him to lead 
as he pleases, the only penalty that remains is to 
call the card led in error. 

38. If a player plays to an imperfect trick the 
best card on the table, and then leads without 
waiting for his partner to play; or if a player 
having led leads again (one or more cards) with- 
out waiting for his partner to play, — the partner 
may be required to win if he can the first or any 
other of the cards led. If the lead is thus given 



Laws of Short Whist. 167 

to the partner, the remaining cards improperly 
played may be called (vide Laws 43, 45). 

39. If a player leads out of turn, and the other 
three follow him, the trick is completed, and the 
error cannot be rectified. But if only the second 
or the second and third players have played to the 
false lead, their cards, on discovery of the mistake, 
may be taken back ; and such cards cannot be 
called. The original offender (or his partner) is 
liable to the penalties for leading out of turn (vide 
Law 37). 

40. If a player called on to lead a suit lias 
none of it, be plays as he pleases, and the penalty 
is deemed to be paid (vide Law 75). 

Playing out of Turn. 

41. ( Vide Laws respecting leading out of turn 
37, 39.) If the third hand plays before the second, 
the fourth has a right to play before his partner. 

42. If the fourth hand plays before the second 
and third, the second may be required to win or 
not to win the trick (vide Law 75). It follows 
that if the second player has none of the suit led, 
lie may be required either to trump or not to 
trump the trick. 

Exposed and Separated Caeds. 

43. An exposed card, — that is, a card shown 
face upward on or above the table, — is liable to be 



1 68 Whist Universal. 

called (vide Law 45). If it is retaken into the 
hand, the adversaries may require it to be placed 
face upward on the table, and they are not bound 
to name it. 

44. Cards separated from the rest of the hand, 
but still held by the player, are not exposed ; they 
are detached cards. A detached card, if named, 
is liable to be called (vide Law 45). Should the 
adversaries name a wrong card, the right one can- 
not afterward be called, and the mis-caller or his 
partner is liable to have a suit called (vide Laws 
40 and 75) when next it is the turn of that side 
to lead. Note. — Cards dropped below the table are 
in strictness detached ; but they should not be 
purposely looked at by the adversaries/and they 
cannot be called. 

45. Cards liable to be called must be left face 
upward on the table, and not taken into the 
player's hand again. The player is bound to play 
them when they are called, provided he can do so 
without revoking. The call may be repeated at 
every trick till the card is played. A player can- 
not be prevented from playing a card liable to be 
called. If he can get rid of it in the course of 
play, no penalty remains. 

46. If two or more cards are exposed in playing 
to a trick, the adversaries may choose which shall 
be played to the current trick ; and they may 
afterward call the others. 



Laws of Short Whist. 169 

47. If two or three players throw their cards on 
the table face upward, each player's exposed hand 
may be called (vide Laws 43, 45) by his adversa- 
ries. But should all four throw down their cards, 
the game is abandoned; and no claim that the 
game might have been won or saved can be enter- 
tairied, unless a revoke is established (vide Law 
51). Throwing down the cards is then construed 
as an act of play equivalent to playing again ; 
the revokers are liable to Law 61, except that the 
penalty cannot be exacted by taking three of their 
tricks. 

48. If a player legally called on to play the 
highest or lowest of a suit, or to win or not to win 
a trick, or called on to lead a suit, fails to comply, 
and it appears, after the trick is turned and 
quitted, or after he or his partner has played 
to the next trick, that he could have complied 
with the demand, he incurs the revoke penalty 
(vide Law 61). 

Cards Played in Error or not Played to a 
Trick. 

49. If a player plays two cards to a trick, or 
mixes the turn-up or one of his cards with a trick 
to which it does not belong, and the mistake is 
not discovered until he has played again, he is 
answerable for any consequent revokes he may 
have made. If the error is detected during the 



170 Whist Universal. 

play of the hand, the tricks may be examined face 
downward to ascertain whether they contain a 
card too many. If one is found to contain a sur- 
plus card, it may be searched and the card restored ; 
the player is liable for any revoke he may have 
meanwhile made, should he not have followed suit 
in the suit to which the card belongs (vide Law 26, 
paragraph h, and Laws 35, 36, 50, and 73). 

50. If a player omits to play to a trick, and 
such error is not discovered until. he has played to 
the next, the adversaries may call a fresh deal. 
If they allow the deal to stand, the surplus card 
is considered at the end of the hand to be played 
to the imperfect trick, but it does not constitute a 
revoke therein. 

The Eevoke. 

51. Should any player not follow suit when he 
holds some of the suit led, and not discover his 
error before the trick is turned and quitted, or 
before he or his partner has played to the next 
trick (notwithstanding that the previous trick 
remains unturned), he revokes. 

52. Should a player not follow suit when he 
can, and discover his error before the revoke is 
established {vide Law 51), the adversaries may call 
on the offender to substitute his highest or lowest 
card (vide Law 75) of the suit led for the card 
played in error ; or they may allow the player to 



Laws of Short Whist. 171 

play as lie pleases to the current trick, in which 
case they may call (vide Laws 43, 45) to any sab- 
sequent trick the card improperly played (vide 
also Law 53). 

53. If a player discovers his mistake after any 
of the subsequent players have played to the trick, 
they are at liberty to withdraw their cards and to 
play differently ; the cards thus withdrawn cannot 
be called. 

54. When a player does not follow suit, his 
partner is permitted to ask him whether he has 
any of the suit led. The adversaries must not 
turn the trick until the question has been re- 
plied to. 

55. At the end of a hand the claimants of a 
revoke may search all the tricks. If the accused 
parties mix the tricks before the adversaries have 
examined them, the revoke is ipso facto estab- 
lished. 

56. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards 
are cut for the next deal. 

57. Any player may require a hand in which a 
revoke has been detected, to be played out. 

58. If both sides revoke, the penalty (vide Law 
Gl) is exacted from each side by the adversaries, 
and neither side can score game that hand. 

59. If a player revokes more than once in a 
hand, any of the penalties (vide Law 61) may be 
taken for each revoke. 



172 Whist Universal, 

60. It is not fair to revoke on purpose. Having 
made one revoke, a player is not justified in mak- 
ing a second in order to conceal the first. 

61. When a revoke is proved, the adversaries 
(a) may add three to their score ; or (b) they may 
take down three from the score of the revoking 
party ; or (c) three of their tricks and add them to 
their own ; and, in whatever way the penalty is 
enforced, the side revoking cannot score game that 
hand. The penalty cannot be divided, — that is, a 
player cannot add one to his own score and deduct 
two from that of his adversaries, and so on. 

62. The revoke penalty takes precedence of all 
other scores. Thus, if the player revokes when 
the adversaries are at two to love, the adversaries 
win a treble, notwithstanding that the player re- 
voking makes thirteen tricks and holds four by 
honours. Bets on the odd trick, or on the amount 
of the score, are decided by the actual state of the 
score after the revoke penalty is exacted. 

Placing the Cards. 

63. Any player during the play of a trick, or 
after the four cards are played, but not after they 
are touched for the purpose of gathering them, 
may require the players to place their cards before 
them. 

64. If a player, before his partner iias played, 
places his card without being required to do so, or 



Laws of Short Whist. 173 

names it, or says that the trick is his, the adver- 
saries may require the offender's partner to play 
(a) his highest or (b) his lowest card of the suit 
led, or (if he has none of the suit) to win or not to 
win the trick (vide Law 75). 

Looking at the Last Trick 

65. Each player may demand to see the last 
turned and quitted trick. At most eight cards 
can be seen ; namely, four on the table not turned 
and quitted, and the previous trick. 

Scoring. 

66. A rubber is the best two out of three games. 
If the same players win the first two games, the 
third game is not played. 

67. A game consists of five points, reckoned by 
tricks, by honours, and by revoke penalties (vide 
Laws 61, 62). Each trick above six, made in the 
play of one hand, counts one point. Honours 
(ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps) are scored 
thus : if a player and his partner (one or both) 
hold four honours, they score four points; any 
three honours, they score two points ; any less 
number, they do not score honours. 

68. Players who at the commencement of the 
deal are at the point of four, cannot score 
honours. 



174 Whist Universal. 

69. To score honours is not sufficient; they 
must be claimed audibly before the trump-card of 
the next deal is turned up. If so claimed, they 
may be scored at any time during the game. If 
honours are not claimed before the trump-card 
of the next deal is turned up, they cannot be 
scored. 

70. The winners gain (a) a treble, or game of 
three points, when they score five before their 
adversaries have scored anything ; (b) a double 
when their adversaries have scored only one or 
two ; (c) a single, when their adversaries have 
scored three or four. 

71. The winners of the rubber gain two points 
(the rubber points) in addition to the value of 
their games. Should the rubber consist of three 
games, the value of the losers' game is deducted 
from the gross number of points gained by their 
opponents. 

72. An erroneous score (if proved) may be cor- 
rected at any time during the game in which it 
occurred, and at any time before the trump-card 
of the first deal of the next game is turned up. 
An erroneous score (if proved) affecting the 
amount of a game already scored (that is, of a 
single, double, or treble scored, one by mistake 
for the other) may be rectified at any time during 
the rubber. 



Laws of Short Whist. 175 



Incorrect or Imperfect Packs. 

73. If a pack, during or after a rubber, is found 
to be incorrect or imperfect, the hand in which 
tbe imperfection was detected is null and void ; the 
dealer deals again. But the discovery does not 
alter any past score, game, or rubber (vide Law 26, 
paragraph 7i, and Laws 35, 36, 49, and 50). 

74. Torn or marked cards may be replaced by 
agreement among the players. A player may call 
for new cards at his own expense. The dealer 
chooses which pack he will deal with. 

Consultation by Partners. 

75. When a player and his partner have the 
option of exacting one of two penalties, or of call- 
ing a suit, they may agree who is to make the 
election, but they must not consult which of the 
two penalties it is advisable to exact, or which 
suit they shall call. If they do so consult, they 
lose their right. As soon as one of the penalties 
or suits is demanded, that decision is final, and 
another penalty or suit cannot afterward be called 
for (vide Law 40). In exacting the revoke penalty 
partners have a right to consult. 

Bystanders. 

76. If a bystander makes any remark, which 
calls attention to and so affects the score, he is 



176 Whist Universal. 

liable to be called on by the players only to 
pay all their stakes and bets on the game or 
rubber. 

77. A bystander, by agreement among the 
players, may be made referee on any question. 
No player should object to refer to a disinterested 
bystander, who professes himself able to decide 
any disputed question of fact. 

Etiquette of Whist. 

78. No intimation by word or gesture should be 
given by a player as to the state of his hand or of 
the game. 

79. A player, having the lead and several win- 
ning cards, should not draw a second card out 
of his hand until his partner has played to the 
first. 

80. A player, desiring the cards to be placed, 
or demanding to see the last trick, should do it 
for his own information only, and not to invite 
the attention of his partner. 

81. By agreement among the players, one 
player may cut, shuffle, or deal for his partner. 

82. Where a penalty has been incurred, the 
offender and his partner are bound to give reason- 
able time for the decision of the adversaries. 

83. Until the players have made such bets as 
they wish, bets should not be made with by- 
standers. 



Laws of Short Whist. 177 

84. Bystanders should not walk around the table 
to look at the different hands. 

85. No bystander should look over the hand of 
a player against whom he is betting. 

These laws were selected from the cursory rules 
that were formed by Deschapelles, and formed 
very much as were the earlier ones that appeared 
in the original Hoyle treatise. For the purposes 
of the game that was being played in France at 
the date of their issuance, many of these descrip- 
tive rules specifying very closely what was to be 
done, seemed a necessity. The Deschapelles list 
entire numbered nearly three hundred. As far 
as he could do so, Cavendish has in the arrange- 
ment that we print of the Baldwin laws made 
them readable. 

It is sufficient to say here that Cavendish and 
others have asserted that the code stands in great 
need of revision, and that they would gladly make 
important changes. Many of the London players, 
however, are disposed to leave matters open for 
discussion, or make them subject to decision. The 
reasons are evident. 

What is called the Etiquette is a set of rules 
that are as much laws as some of the rest where- 
in no penalty for disobedience is specified. They 
12 



178 Whist Universal. 

are as insinuations made, or doubts cast, upon 
the integrity of players, and stand for warnings 
to that order of men who practise deception when- 
ever a point cau be gained by its use. 

In regard to decision under these laws, it need 
only be said that cases of great similarity have 
been differently adjudged. Laws that are chosen, 
and not chosen well ; copied, and not copied cor- 
rectly; changed, and not changed for the better, 
— are not liable to intimidate the gamester adroit 
alike in their disobeyal and refutation. 

We do not propose to discuss the morality of 
the London game. It is customary in England 
to play all sorts of games for money. It is the 
affair of the people entirely. The people like 
their game ; it suits their purposes. Among its 
partisans are named some of the best players of 
the world. Their game is played in America at 
many social clubs, and here as there numbers 
some of the finest players in the country. It has 
its able representative in Cavendish, and no one 
may presume to improve upon his manner of 
instruction. His " Laws and Principles " is a 
compilation of the first order among text-books 
of merit. 

We have printed these amended laws of 
Short Whist because they are obeyed by those 



Laws of Short Whist. 179 

persons who in this country play the English 
game, and who have adopted the American leads, 
and because they are used by some players par- 
tially to govern the game of Five-Point Whist. 

Interested parties at their leisure may make 
comparison between them and the Laws of Long 
Whist (p. 191) and draw their own inferences as 
to the merits of the games that they respectively 
govern. 



180 Whist Universal. 



FIVE-POINT WHIST. 

The reason that is alleged for the unpopularity 
of this method of play is that the players them- 
selves are generally unwilling to respect its advan- 
tages and remedy its deficiencies. The game itself 
lacks alike the spur of pecuniary interest and the 
wand of conservative administration. Neverthe- 
less, it is unquestionably true that a game which 
is finished at five points has great utility per se for 
precedence in large clubs. First, it is brief, — a 
major consideration when many persons care to 
play ; second, it is far more easily learned and 
played than the longer game; third, even if 
silence on some points is required, there may 
always be an easy-going disposition manifested 
by its players to reduce what would otherwise be 
a calculating game to a sprightly amusement, to 
enjoy which the participant must hold high cards 
and understand some of the ordinary plans for 
capturing tricks. 

The peculiar ill fortune of Five-Point Whist 
consists in the adoption of all the bad features of 
the Short-Whist code and the copying of all its 



Five-Point Whist. 



ibi 



errors. The laws that regulate the action of Short 
Whist are based upon the recognition of honours 
and the necessity for protection of special privi- 
leges that hazard claims. But Five-Point Whist 
entertains neither honours nor hazard, and for a 
game whose vocation is divested of their influence, 
blindly to obey a series of regulations distinctly 
planned for their advantage is an absurdity. 

For instance, Short Whist allows A. to ask his 
partner, who does not follow suit, if he has no 
card of the suit led. For what reason ? Because 
the making a revoke is a costly affair. It will do 
for a man who has his money up, half way to in- 
sult his partner's intelligence. But what has a 
Five-Point Player to do with that ? The rule was 
made in the interest of a game whose purpose 
is foreign to that which distinguishes his own. 
Notwithstanding the difference, when opportunity 
offers he calls out in the same way, and his ex- 
planatory statement for so doing is, " The English- 
men do it, and my partner might have made a 
revoke if I had not warned him to look over his 
hand." Certainly he might ; and if he did, you 
should have shared the result of his mistake like a 
man, not hidden behind a gamester's device like 
a poltroon. 

The London player must have the cards placed 



1 82 Whist Universal. 

a dozen times, it may be, during a rubber. Why ? 
Because the proprietorship of that bet with Major 
Jones depends upon whether his partner threw the 
6 or the 10, the queen or the knave. The Five-Point 
player who makes no bet, instead of pluming him- 
self upon observing the cards that fall, is ready, 
because a rule in London allows a similar proceed- 
ing, to make his partner declare if he threw the 3 
or the 7. 

Instead of abolishing of his own accord the hate- 
ful practice of trick-turning, and being satisfied 
that thereby he had made advance in quality of 
play beyond the Londoner who dares not do it, 
the Five-Point player had rather follow in the 
Londoner's wake, and gratify an unpardonable 
curiosity, having for his excuse, " The London law 
allows it." 

It certainly seems to be a humiliating position 
for a Five-Point player in America to assume, — 
a professional man for instance of influence and 
marked ability, or a business man of accredited 
reputation, — voluntarily to relinquish his inde- 
pendence of thought and action, and with meek 
obeisance assert that the habitue's of a London club 
(albeit supposed by some persons to constitute 
what they happily style " the whole whist world ") 
shall, by virtue of their conceded information, 



Five-Point Whist, 183 

regulate his intelligence in reference to the man- 
agement of the game that he plays. And such 
confession seems especially inopportune, now that 
his own countryman has improved the game of the 
English clubs, to the acceptance and satisfaction of 
the best players of Europe. 

There need be no good reason why Eive-Point 
Whist should not be popular with such of our 
Eastern clubs as — because of large membership 

— desire a short game. But what is especially 
needed is that the players should make their own 
laws, taking such from the English code as please 
them, throwing out perhaps half of them, remod- 
elling some of the rest, and adding half a dozen 
compulsory ones that should give character to their 
game. For whist without honours is not as poker, 
to be played with when played. Joke and jubila- 
tion, bluff and braggadocio, are the life of the one, 

— the death of the other. 

If Eive-Point Whist has any merit, it is shown 
in the kindly avowal that the parties who volun- 
tarily play together are to have confidence in each 
other's perception ; and the only way to make the 
mode desirable to all who practise it, is for each 
player to prove worthy of such trust. 

It will naturally occur to any man who will not 
study Long Whist, but who wishes to be welcome 



184 Whist Universal. 

at a Five-Point table, that if it does not occasion 
a sacrifice of too much attention, he had best ac- 
custom himself to the ordinary demands that the 
game and its practical management may make. 
We all know that in reference to the conduct of a 
chosen recreation or an adopted business, if there 
is lack of system and of adherence to positive laws 
we can neither enjoy the one nor make progress in 
the other. It has been the misfortune' of Five- 
Point Whist not to have known the application of 
sound methods to its practice, and for that reason 
its players have been less particular in observance 
of the etiquette that makes a feature of the genuine 
game. A few simple rules that are disregarded 
because of non-enforcement may properly have 
place here. Players who are learning Five-Point 
Whist, having conformed to these, may progress 
in other respects as fast and as far as they please. 

When dealing the cards hold them level in the 
hand, and throw them pointing downward. 

Sort your own hand quickly, and always count 
your cards. 

Watch the table, not your hand, that you need 
not ask about the play. 

If you are not the dealer, never touch the cards 
that are being dealt until the trump is turned. 



Five-Point Whist. 185 

Make no comment, and give no sign concerning' 
your hand or your purpose. 

If you hold high cards it is no merit of yours ; 
do not make it appear as if it were. If you hold 
low cards, resolve to help your partner by playing 
them without loss. As the cards are not to be 
selected, the credit lies in properly managing 
whatever you may hold. 

If you will play silently you will probably play 
observantly. 

Gather the cards that belong to you, if your 
partner takes the first trick on your side. 

If it is your turn to play, play before you turn 
the trick last taken. 

Never draw a card even partially away from the 
rest until it is your turn to play. 

Never lay your cards on the table to play from 
them there ; you annoy the whole party. 

Never turn over a trick that has been taken 
and quitted. 

Eemember that you are but one of four. Every 
selfish act that you do interferes with the sense of 
propriety of at least two of the other three. 

Study the Order of Leads and the play of the 
other hands (pp. 24-85). This at any rate, if you 
intend ever to be a whist player. 



1 86 Whist Universal. 

There is a number of very proper laws to sug- 
gest for the consideration of a committee author- 
ized to compile the rules for Five-Point Whist, 
and one of them, with the reasons for its adoption, 
follows : — 

" Where a table originally formed of four play- 
ers is after a rubber entered by one more player, 
or by two more players, an original player or two 
original players cutting out, the one player or the 
two players so coming in have no right of con- 
tinuance, but at the close of the rubber must cut 
with those who played in it for entre'e to the next 
table." 

In Five-Point Whist, when four players form a 
table, the two who draw or cut the lowest cards 
play against those who draw the two highest. 
When a fifth or a fifth and sixth player would be 
admitted, the original four draw or cut, and the 
one or the two highest go out. When the table 
now formed has played a rubber, the four who com- 
pose it should draw or cut for entre'e to the next. 
A false custom in this respect prevails in some 
clubs, — the one player or the two players who had 
cut out coming back, which is correct ; and the one 
player or the two players who had cut in remain- 
ing, which is incorrect. This manifest injustice 
pays a premium to the new-comer or comers for 



Five-Point Whist. 187 

being late, not only allowing him or them to break 
up the original game, but giving him or them posi- 
tion by forcing out the player or players who by 
virtue of being in the room first, by common law 
has or have the privilege of the table. 

We will illustrate this falsity in the case of a sin- 
gle player. A., B., C, and D. have made a table ; a 
fifth player (E.) comes into the room during their 
play, and in the idiom, " declares." At the end of 
the rubber the four originals draw. A. turns a 
king, B. a 10, C. an 8, and D. a 4. A. goes out, 
and E. comes in. The rubber over, A. comes back, 
and B. who drew the next highest card goes out ; 
afterward C. who drew next highest, and then D. 
Meantime E. is rewarded for coming late by hav- 
ing his seat for every rubber, playing one more 
than any man in the room since he came. Of 
course with what they did before he came, or were 
doing at the time of his coming, he has no more to 
do than with what they did in a game of a week 
ago. It will readily be seen that upon E.'s coming 
there are five players instead of four, and that the 
four take in the fifth, beginning all over as it were. 
A., B., C, and D. draw. A. draws the highest card, 
and goes out. It matters not what B., C, and D. 
draw ; neither of them can determine their posi- 
tion in a rubber that is to be played in the future. 



1 88 Whist Universal. 

A. makes a sacrifice of his place to E., who claims 
it. E. cannot claim B.'s place, and C.'s and D.'s 
also. E. certainly has not the right to turn every- 
body out and to play all the time; he has the 
conceded right to play once, and only once. Then 
A. conies back. E. who has had his privilege ac- 
corded him has no further privilege. Since he has 
been in the room he has played as much as any 
one. He can now be no more than equal with B., 
C, and D., and must draw with them, if he persists 
in playing, to be in or out of the next rubber as 
the cards determine. 

The principle is the same if two players come 
in during the progress of a rubber by a table of 
four. Two of the four cut out and the two new- 
comers are in. At the close of the rubber, they 
do not stay in unless they cut lower cards than 
are cut by those with whom they have just 
played. 

The indisposition of Five-Point players to make 
of their game all that it is worth, — that is, the 
willingness to be satisfied with favorable accident 
rather than with determined play ; the occasional 
forgetfulness as to what has fallen not being 
counted a great error ; the looking back at cards 
played instead of resolutely refusing to do so ; and 
the general indifference to playing finesse rather 



Five- Point Whist. 189 

than routine, as well as the dependence upon in- 
formation that can be had for the asking rather 
than that which is gained by observation, — help 
to place the quality of the game at lower value 
than belongs to either of the other methods. 

Hartford says : " We play seven points. This 
is the game of some very good players who are a 
private club of few members, and of the ' Home 
Circle.' If I understand the manner of the Five- 
Point game, it is noisier than Short Whist." 

Providence says : " We have good players" of the 
long game. There is too much license in Five- 
Point Whist. It is unworthy the name." 

In the cities generally, report says : " Short Whist 
is played at social clubs, and Long Whist at 
select and private clubs and at the residences of 
citizens." 

Five-Point Whist is proper to be adopted by 
clubs of many players, because it gives the chance 
of participation in a brief game that is readily 
scored ; but it needs and deserves a series of regu- 
lations that shall mark its distinctiveness from 
Short Whist, and do away with all unnecessary 
talk. No one player should take occasion at a 
whist table to free his mind upon other subjects, 
nor do or say what can disconcert any one of the 



190 Whist Universal. 

other three. If the game is worth playing, it is 
worth playing well. It can never be well played 
until it is played silently, for it requires close 
attention to many matters of detail. All the calls 
or catches that are practised in a money-game 
should be ignored, and all demonstration not made 
by the cards as they silently fall, should be pro- 
hibited by law. 



Laws of Long Whist. 191 



LAWS OF LOKG WHIST. 

1. Four persons out of any number, by agree- 
ment or by cutting or drawing lower cards than 
the rest, form a table. These four may agree 
upon partnership, or may cut to decide how they 
shall play. In cutting, the ace is low. 

2. The first dealer is he who of the four players 
has cut or drawn the lowest card. The player on 
his left shuffles the pack chosen by the dealer, and 
the player on his right cuts, not leaving less than 
four cards in each packet. The cut, when both 
packets are on the table, is the packet nearest 
the centre of the table. The trump-card, which is 
the under card of the cut, must not be known 
until it is turned by the dealer. If by accident 
it should be seen, or if any other card is exposed 
when cutting, the pack must be cut again. While 
the deal is being made, the dealer's partner shuffles 
the other pack for his own right-hand opponent, 
who is next to deal. 

3. Either pack may be shuffled by any one of 
three players while the other pack is being dealt ; 
but as a rule the cards having been shuffled at the 
beginning by any of the players, will not again be 
shuffled except as by Law 2. 



192 Whist Universal. 

4. The deal is lost if thirteen cards are not in 
regular succession, beginning at the dealer's left, 
received by each player, if the last card is not 
turned up at the dealer's right hand, or if a card 
is exposed while dealing. 

5. No player will touch the cards that are being 
dealt until the trump-card is turned. 

6. The trump-card shall remain upon the table 
until three players shall have played, but not after 
the second round. 

7. Each player on taking up his cards will count 
them. If he has not exactly thirteen, that is the 
time to report the misdeal, before a card is played. 

8. No conversation can take place during the 
play. Whist is the game of silence. Talking will 
cease when the first leader throws his card. Si- 
lence will continue until the last card of the hand 
is played. 

9. The cards are played for all the points that 
can be made, and the number of points made by 
each player may be kept upon the score-card. A 
game consists of seven points, or as many more 
as may be made in the hand in which seven is 
reckoned or reached. Each trick beyond six made 
in the play of each hand counts one point. A 
rubber is two games won out of three played, or 
two games successively won. A rubber game is 
the decisive game of three. 

10. A card that belongs in the hand must not 
be drawn from it until it is time for the holder to 
throw it as a lead or on a trick. 



Laws of Lo7ig Whist, 193 

11. If a player throws two or more cards at 
once, or exposes a card unless to play it, or fails to 
play upon a trick, or plays out of turn, he suffers 
the penalty of Law 15. 

12. Every hand must be played out, unless, 
the game being decided to the satisfaction of 
the losers, one or both of them throw down their 
cards. If the cards are so thrown down the game 
is at once counted against them, and a point 
taken by the winners for each card in any one 
hand. 

13. A player whose next turn it is to play may 
point to any card upon the table, and the player 
of such card will draw it toward him to designate 
that he played it in his turn. 

14. When a trick is taken and turned it cannot 
again be seen until the hand is played. 

15. The penalty for the infringement of any 
Law is the deduction of one point from the 
score of the offender, or the addition of one point 
to the score of the claimant, as the adversa- 
ries upon consultation at the close of the hand 
shall elect. 

The Eevoke. 

16. A revoke is the play on the trick of a 
card of a different suit while holding a card of 
the suit that is led. If a player having thrown 
a card that would cause a revoke, can substi- 
tute the proper card for that thrown before the 

13 



194 Whist Universal. 

trick is turned, he may do so, and surfer the 
penalty of Law 14 for having at first thrown a 
wrong card. If in the mean time other cards 
have been played, any or all of them can be 
recalled. 

17. A revoke is established if the trick in which 
it occurs be turned and quitted, or if either the 
revoking player or his partner, whether in his 
turn or otherwise, leads or plays to a following 
trick. 

18. If a player revoke, his partner must with 
him share the fault and penalty, — which is three 
tricks taken from them, or three points taken 
from their score, or three added to their adver- 
saries' score, at such adversaries' will, the revoke 
to be decided by the examination of the cards, 
if need be, at the close of the hand. Each party 
has a right to make such examination for any 
purpose. 



These laws are for the regulation of a game 
that is considered by those who play it to take 
precedence of any intellectual recreation in the 
world. In it the cards are made to represent 
ideas, occasioning its results to be victories of 
calculation. Chance, however, has its frequent 
opportunities for baffling the skill of expert ad- 
versaries; but the holder of master cards must 
see to it that he uses them all to the best advan- 



Laws of Long Whist. 195 

tage, for the gain to which accidental possession 
promises insurance is liable to the subtraction 
that ingenuity may compel. 

There is a story told in detail by one of the 
best players in America, that enlivened one of 
the great clubs of New York, and that is said to 
have induced several prominent men of that city 
to study whist. We give a portion of it in 
the narrator's words : " I visited the rooms of 
the officials at the Grand Station, and was intro- 
duced to , a railway magnate. My 

business over, and copies of my papers made by 
one of the swiftest of stenographers, I took my 
hat from its place with others that were in a 
line, and said as I was making sure that I had 
the right one, ' Yes, this is mine ; it was at the 
head of the sequence.' — ' Do you play whist ? ' 
' Sometimes.' — ' Do you play well ? ' 'I am try- 
ing hard to do so.' An appointment was made. 
. . .' My partner was the gentleman of whom 
I have spoken. We played against two fine 
players, one of whom (we will call him C.) had 
never before met either my partner or myself in 
the game. We were successful, having made in 
the course of the play some very good, even not- 
able, strokes, that between the deals were freely 
discussed. At lunch C. said to me : ' You beat 



196 Whist Universal 

us. You hurled railroads at us. I am not in 
the habit of playing with men who handle cards 
as they do great properties, and yet those are 
the very men who can understand the game of 
whist.'" 

" I never consider," says a correspondent, " that 
a hand at whist that is correctly played is other 
than a success." 

It is always the manner by which tricks are 
taken, always the manner by which tricks are 
saved, that makes good whist. 

1. A. holds ace, k., km, and a small club, and 
four trumps headed by queen. He plays k, then 
ace, then the small one ; and as C. passes and B. 
holds qu. it makes, and after trumps are out A. 
makes his kn. 

Again : A. holds ace, k., kn., and a small club, 
and four trumps headed by queen. He plays k., 
then his fourth trump. After trumps are out, 
B. returns qu. of clubs, which makes ; then a small 
one, and A. makes ace and kn. A. made his cards 
in the first instance ; but note the prettier play, 
the manner of making them. 

2. B. held k., 10, and three small hearts, and 
four trumps. A led a small heart ; C. threw the 
8, B. played k., and D. the ace. Afterward, 
trumps exhausted, B. led a heart \ A. made the 



Laws of Long Whist. 197 

queen, C. throwing the 9. D. had none ; C. made 
the knave. 

Again : B. held k, 10, and three small hearts. 

A. led a small heart; C. threw the 8, B. the 10 
and drew the ace. Afterward, trumps exhausted, 

B. led a heart ; A. made the qu., C. throwing the 9. 

C. could not have king, and A. led the 7 of hearts 
to get out of B.'s way to his king ; C. played km, 
and B. made k. and small hearts. 

Notice the manner by which the trick was 
saved. The handling of thirteen cards during 
a dozen consecutive hands by the fine player 
as by the ordinary one may be very much the 
same, because the chance for brilliant play is but 
occasional. But there comes a hand, and in it a 
chance. The ordinary player stumbles through 
it, and makes the major cards. Give it to the 
fine player, with a partner of his own strength, 
and he will plan a play of it that will as far 
outrank the thought of the other man as Jay 
Gould's manipulations of a railway scheme over- 
shadow the actions of a dabbler in its stocks. 

After the holder of the high cards has ex- 
hausted his battery, the holder of low ones may 
by inference and calculation know how to do 
something that will get one trick which could not 
have been made save by such careful management. 



198 Whist Universal. 

There is more value in this action than in a hun- 
dred pound-downs of aces and kings. 

Again, the moderate player in the early part of 
a hand succeeds, by trumping or forcing or playing 
leading cards, in making a certain headway. This 
very gain, whatever it is, might perhaps have been 
much more ingeniously obtained without the 
trump, the force, or the showy play. There is 
hut one trick played for in a hand, the rest will 
make of their own accord. If you play over the 
cards that are played in the general way, you 
can see wherein might have been, if not a gain, 
at least a better mode of play ; and the better 
mode of play is the very thing to learn and to 
practise. 

It is very easy to understand that great atten- 
tion must be given to be able to accomplish de- 
signs that must be completed through calculation. 
Then does it not follow that all interruptions hin- 
der and annoy those who are carrying a purpose in 
their brain ? Of course the talk of penalties and 
claims for cards in error are confusing, and though 
they effect or settle an instant purpose they inter- 
fere with what is being considered about what is 
to come. That is why it is that whist is a great 
game ; and it does not matter how it appears to 
the player who does some seemingly smart thing 



Laws of Long Whist, 199 

in an ordinary way in the early part of a hand, 
and who is badly playing the cards that he is so 
sure he understands. He sees what he thinks is 
a surety, and accepts it; he does not see what 
the issue is to be. 

If we could have the attention of these players 
who are so anxious to play, and who are so well 
satisfied that they know it all, for only time 
enough to explain the reason for the action, in 
only one game furnished by Mr. Trist, of a player 
who simply threw the 4 of diamonds at the right 
time for a certain purpose, — a play that no common 
whist-player would ever make, or could possibly 
guess that it should be made, — they might be wil- 
ling to understand of how poor quality is their 
management of cards in comparison with such as 
that. 

The Laws of Short Whist are applicable to the 
game of chance, the laws of Long Whist to the 
game of skill. The English players find interest 
in nothing that has not a money-backing. "I 
cannot see the sense of playing for insignificant 
stakes," says Professor Proctor. " Good players 
like to play for stakes high enough to define well 
the interest taken in the game," says Dr. Pole. In 
order to regulate such an amusement, Cavendish 
tells us that " the laws are intended to effect two 



200 Whist Universal. 

objects : (1) To preserve the harmony and deter- 
mine the ordering of the table ; and (2) To prevent 
any player from obtaining an unfair advantage." 
And Drayson says, "The laws of whist, like all 
other laws, are for the purpose of maintaining 
order." The theory of Proctor and the philosophy 
of Pole are therefore properly protected by legal 
enactment. 

But Cavendish, who is fair in his statement that 
Long Whist is preferable to Short, and who says, 
" A perfect game ought to excite such an amount 
of interest that it may be played for its own sake 
without needing the stimulus of gambling," asks 
this question, " If the game is sufficiently inter- 
esting to keep the players pleasantly occupied, and 
to afford material for innocent and healthy enjoy- 
ment, why play for a stake at all ? " and acids, 
" None of the quoted writers have answered this 
question." 

When we consider that all his " quoted writers " 
agree in their preference for the short game over 
the long one " because money changes hands with 
such increased rapidity," we very naturally con- 
clude that some time will probably elapse before 
they will answer the question. But we on this 
side of the water can make reply that there is no 
reason why intelligent men should play for money, 



Laws of Long Whist. 201 

and that the laws of Long Whist govern a game 
which possesses in itself interest sufficient to en- 
gage their earnest attention and reward their most 
intellectual endeavor. 

The laws of Long Whist are few, for much is 
assumed to be done upon principle that needs no 
direction. The cards having been dealt, it is cus- 
tomary for the first player to wait until all are 
ready and then make his lead, after which no 
word passes between the players until the last 
card of the hand Las been thrown. If in the 
course of play a card is thrown out of turn, the 
offender may be warned by a sign from partner 
or opponent ; he takes up the card, and the proper 
person plays. At the close of the hand the 
opponents take a point as penalty for the acci- 
dent. In case of revoke, the party offending 
suffers as in original whist, — three points, or three 
tricks. No interruption is caused by a spoken 
appeal or reminder : such offence is punisha- 
ble by the loss of a point. The consequence is, 
as may readily be imagined, that the charges 
for revokes and playing out of turn are very 
few. Every player attending legitimately to his 
business needs no coaching, and receives no 
censure. The report of a Cincinnatian reads : 
"With our parties there has not been a re- 



202 Whist Universal, 

yoke this year, and but one fine of a point for 
speaking." 

To those who have never played whist that 
means silence, the luxury of the game is unknown. 
The fear of advantage being taken by accidental 
or intentional play in Short Whist makes the 
close watch upon the doings of adversaries a 
necessity. A. cries out to C, " I saw that card, 
I call it, — the king of diamonds," and C. must 
play it; and three members of the table are in- 
terested, not in minding each his own affairs 
and playing his own hand, but in the fact that 
C. is to do upon compulsion what he does not 
desire to do. The same fear induces A. to call 
to his partner, whose observation he does not care 
to trust, * Have you no club ? " in order to save 
a revoke. 

Long Whist simply repudiates such children's 
play. If C. accidentally exposes a card he loses 
a point, and A. may play for or against the card 
so seen, as suits his convenience. If B. trumps a 
trick of which he has suit, he and his partner 
pay the price of his negligence. 

The table of Short Whist is matter of chance. 
The players — four, or five, or six — draw or cut for 
places, and the cards decide who shall play and 
with whom. 



Laws of Long Whist. 203 

The table of Long Whist is matter of agree- 
ment. The players decide how they will play. 
The table at Short Whist is seldom arranged as 
the players themselves would have it. The table 
at Long Whist is seldom arranged otherwise than 
as the players desire. It is not customary at a 
Short Whist or Five-point Whist Club to make 
up a table by appointment; and so four players 
who care to play together very rarely have the 
opportunity of doing so. It is customary at a 
Long Whist Club for two players to challenge 
other two, or for four players to form their even- 
ing game. There is no cutting in at this table, 
and no admission to it save by agreement. If 
there were no denial to the party who does not 
know the game, when would four persons who 
do know it be sure of an opportunity for play- 
ing it? Courtesy? Yes, at certain times and 
places, when proper to be extended. But the 
one fact exists and rules, to make the difference 
in the practical play of the two games. In 
the one the discourteous man has the chance to 
press in, whether prepared by knowledge of the 
game or not; and by the rules it is discourtesy 
on the part of four men to deny the one man 
the privilege of inconveniencing them all. In 
the other, there is no understood reason why 



204 Whist Unive7'sal. 

four men should be considered as the possessors 
of no rights because one man supposes that his 
will should be paramount. It is a very simple 
matter for men who desire to play whist with 
good players to accomplish their wish. Let them 
study and observe and learn. It is with whist as 
with mathematics. The man who never heard of 
Euclid may not hope to sit down with professors. 

It is true that all whist-players are learners; 
that the better they play, the more they see how 
much there is before them. Nevertheless, the 
good players are the students of the principle and 
system of which that future development is the 
superstructure. If persons do not know how the 
foundations are laid, their judgment as to what can 
be built thereon will be worth very little. 

Two gentlemen about a year ago declared their 
intention of learning whist, and joined a club for 
that purpose. One of them played at every chance 
with players of all degrees, and saw what they did, 
heard what they said, and tried to practise what 
seemed to him to be best, as the different plays 
and different remarks concerning them gave op- 
portunity. The other watched one hand at a time, 
asked questions, took printed games and played 
them through, and read the reasons for what seemed 
to him peculiar. When the first man afterward 



Laws of Long Whist. 205 

Logan to study, he had to unlearn the greater part 
of what he had thought was right ; when the 
second man began to play, he taught the mys- 
teries of finesse to some of those who had played 
longest. 

Unsafe advisers are they who assume to know 
what is best to be done, founded merely upon the 
practice they have had. Such persons are ever 
ready to tell of what they have " tried, and it 
worked well," and what they believe to be the 
" best play," no matter " what the books say." 
Be sure of one thing, — whenever a player boasts 
that his knowledge was gained from practice and 
none of it from books, the real player has no diffi- 
culty in crediting the statement. It will con- 
stantly be seen that a good player not only plays 
the hand that is hopeless as well as it can be 
played, but also the hand that is mediocre, that 
is very good or very strong ; while the moderate 
player merely throws away the first two, and 
almost always loses a trick in each of the second 
two. 

If four gentlemen who call themselves whist- 
players, but who never yet individually or collec- 
tively did or could sit in silence while exciting 
and interesting business with cards was being 
transacted by themselves or others, would resolve, 



206 Whist Universal. 

and keep the resolution, let come what would, 
for the space of five minutes, or during the play 
of a single hand of cards held by them, to ob- 
serve everything but never speak of anything until 
the last card of all that hand had fallen, this, 
their first lesson in whist, would be replete with 
satisfaction. 



Lead of the p. 207 



THE LEAD OF THE 9. 

To illustrate the value of the proper lead as dis- 
tinguished from the former manner of playing 
whist, we print four hands of Cavendish publica- 
tion, numbered respectively I., XIV., and XXVII., 
in " Laws and Principles," and IV. in " Whist De- 
velopments," as they appear in those text-books, 
following in each instance the plan of Short- Whist 
recommendation by the correct management of 
the same cards according to Long Whist, showing 
not only the gain made in points, but the superi- 
ority in quality of play. 



2o8 Whist Universal. 



HAKD I. 

(From " Laws and Principles!') 

This first hand is a pattern one in every edition 
of Cavendish. We give it entire, with the remarks 
of the author, and afterward with the same cards 
introduce the modern lead for better results. 

The score is 0. The honours (Short Whist) 
are divided. The 2 of spades is turned. The 
hands are as follows: — 

SPADES. HEARTS. CLUBS. DIAMONDS. 

A. qu., 10, 5, 3 ace ace, 7, 6, 3 k., kn., 9, 2 

C. ace, 6, 4 kn., 10, 9, 8, 2 qu., 9 10, 6, 4 

B. k., 7 k. qu., 7, 5, 4 kn., 4 qu., 8, 7, 5 

D. kn., 9, 8, 2 6, 3 k., 10, 8, 5, 2 ace, 3 

The Play. 

Short Whist. 
(The italicised card wins the trick.) 
A. C. B. D. 

1. 2d. 4 d. qu. d. ace d. 

2. 3 c. qu. c. 4 c. 5 c. 

3. ace h. kn. h. qu. h. 3 h. 



Hand L 209 



4. 


3 s. 


4 s. 


k. s. 


2 s. 


5. 


10 s. 


ace s. 


7 s. 


8 s. 


6. 


6 c. 


8h. 


k. h. 


6h. 


7. 


hi. d. 


6d. 


5 d. 


3d. 


8. 


qu. So 


6 s. 


7d. 


9 s. 


9. 


k. d. 


10 d. 


8d. 


hi. s. 


10. 


7 c. 


9 c. 


hi. c. 


2 c. 



A.B. make three by cards. 

BemarJcs. — 1. A. leads from his strongest suit. 
Having no sequence he leads the lowest card 
of the suit. The fall of the queen and ace in 
the round leaves him with the winning diamonds 
and a small one. His suit may be said to be 
established. 

2. A. plays lowest card second hand. B. allow- 
ing qu. to win, may be presumed not to have k. 

3. It is unlucky that A. is obliged to win his 
partner's trick. The k. of hearts is marked in B.'s 
hand, as C. leading kn. cannot have it, and D. not 
winning qu. cannot have it. 

4. This is an instructive trump-lead. A. at the 
first starting with but four trumps and only one 
heart, would not have been justified in leading a 
trump. But his strong suit being established, and 
his partner having the best heart, his game is now 
to lead trumps. 

14 



210 Whist Universal. 

9. A. forces the best trump, and remains with 
the thirteenth to bring in his long diamond. 

10. Well played by A. By passing the trick he 
gives his partner a chance to make kn., retaining 
ace to capture king. 



The 


Long-Whist Order 


for the 


same 3 


follows 


: — 










A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


9d. 


4d. 


qu. d. 


ace d. 


2. 


3 c. 


qu. c. 


4 c. 


5 c. 


3. 


ace h. 


kn. h. 


4h. 


3h. 


4. 


hi. d. 


6 d. 


5d. 


3 d. 


5. 


ace c. 


9 c. 


kn. c. 


2 c. 


6. 


7 c. 


10 d. 


7 s. 


8 c. 


7. 


2d. 


2h. 


qu. h. 


6 k 


8. 


qu. s. 


8h. 


k. h. 


kn. s. 


9. 


6 c. 


ace s. 


7d. 


10 c. 


10. 


5 s. 


10 h. 


5h. 


k. c. 


11. 


3 s. 




Tc. s. 





A.B. make four by cards. 

Remarks. — 1. The 9 of diamonds is the proper 
lead of the hand. The original lead of the 2 gives 
no information. B. by the 9 is at once apprised 
of his partner's strength, and has four reasons for 
his play of the qu. third hand, — to get out of the 



Hand I. 211 



way ; to prevent the 10 from making ; to draw the 
ace ; and to clear the suit. The lead of the 2 was 
blind ; that of the 9 makes all clear. 

3. The bad practice of the old Short-Whist 
creed was to play qu. second hand on kn. led. Such 
play here loses a trick. For information about 
this play see p. 55. 

4. A. plays one round of diamonds to ascertain 
the situation of the suit. 

5. A. knows that B. has not k. of clubs. D. has 
led from four or five, and A. taking this trick can 
force B., perhaps advantageously on the next 
round. A. does not lead a trump, for if C. led kn. 
of hearts lowest of sequence, A. needs his trumps 
for that suit. 

6. C. had better part with the diamond than to 
trump the trick. 

7. B. plays qu. of hearts to show A. that he has 
k. A. throws the small diamond, for he wants the 
club to play another force. 

8. B. continues the heart. D. trumps as high as 
he can. If he can get this trick, and by his part- 
ner's aid force two rounds of trumps, he may make 
his clubs. 

9. C. plays his sure trump that he may lead the 
best heart, forcing A., and so securing the lead 
from A to his partner D., and then 



212 Whist Universal. 

10. Leads 10 of hearts. 

11. The tenace in trumps is with A. 

The play of the 9 at the outset determines the 
position of k. and kn., and gives to B. every chance 
to play properly for the benefit of his partner. 
Any player will readily see the advantage in 
manner of play over the old method. 



Hand XIV. 213 



HAND XIV. 

(From " Laws and Principles") 

The second illustration is one in which Caven- 
dish excuses an inexcusable finesse. 

The score is 4 to 4; only the odd card is needed. 
The 10 of clubs is turned, and the hands follow. 

SPADES. HEARTS. CLUBS. DIAMONDS. 

A. 7,6,2 k., kn., 9, 7, 6, 4 kn. 10,7,6 



c. 


k.,qu.,kn., 


4 qu 


.,5 


ace, 4, 


2 


k., kn., 8, 5 


B. 


ace, 9 


ace 


;, 10 


9,8,7, 


6,5, 


3 qu., 9, 3 


D. 


10, 8, 5, 3 


8, 


3,2 


k.,<iu. 3 


10 


ace, 4, 2 








The Play. 












Short Whist. 








A. 




C. 


B. 




D. 




6h. 




5h. 


ace h. 




2h. 




kn. c. 




2 c. 


5 c. 




qu. c. 




2 s. 




kn. s. 


ace s. 




3 s. 




6 s. 




4 c. 


6 c. 




10 c. 




7 s. 




qu. s. 


9 s. 




5 s. 




6d. 




k. s. 


9 c. 




8 s. 




4h. 




ace c. 


3 c. 




k. c. 




7 b. 




4 s. 


7 c. 




10 s. 




kn. h. 




qu. h. 


10 h. 




3h. 



214 Whist Universal. 

CD. make two tricks in diamonds, and win 
the odd trick and game. 

Remarks. — 6. C.'s lead is not well judged. 
He knows his partner to hold k. of clubs single, 
and his object should be to prevent the two 
trumps from being drawn together. C.'s best 
lead appears to be qu. of hearts, and if it wins, 
a diamond. 

9. A.'s finesse is unlucky. He has no indica- 
tion as to the position of the queen. The finesse 
must not be judged by the result. It is generally 
right against one card, if the success of the finesse 
wins the game. 

The above is a hand, and the play of it and re- 
marks upon it, by Cavendish. 

The proper original lead insures a very different 
result. 

The Long-Whist Order follows : — 







The Play. 






A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


9h. 


5h. 


ace h. 


2h. 


2. 


kn. c. 


2 c. 


6 c. 


qu. c. 


3. 


2 s. 


kn. s. 


ace s. 


3 s. 


4. 


6 s. 


4 c. 


5 c. 


10 c. 





A 


Hand 


XIV. 




215 


5. 


7 s. 


qu. s. 


9 s. 


5 s. 




6. 


6d. 


k. s. 


Sc. 


8 s. 




7. 


7d. 


ace c. 


7 c. 


k. c. 




8. 


10 d. 


4 s. 


8 c. 


10 s. 




9. 


ft. A. 


qu. h, 


10 h. 


3h. 





10 to 13. Won by the hearts and last trump. 
A.B. make three by card. 

Remarks. — C. knows that k. and kn. are with 
A. He had best let the 9 be taken with ace, and 
hope that A. may finesse on a return lead. B. is 
instantly acquainted with the hand of A., and 
having taken with ace, plays at once for the 
benefit of A. the 

2. Fourth best trump. 

6. C.'s best play is a diamond. If he has the 
9 instead of the 8, he informs his partner of his 
holding ; but the lead of the 8 would deceive him. 
C. may fear that B. is holding up the best diamond 
purposely to get in, play trumps, and make A/s 
hearts. C. might play qu. of hearts for A. to take, 
and if A. returned a heart he could separate the 
high trumps. But C.'s play in the original hand 
was the k. of spades to force another trump, and 
we let him play his own game. 

9. Finesse here is not simply unlucky; it is 
silly. A. has no way of getting in again, and 



216 Whist Universal. 

must take this trick at any rate, leaving his part- 
ner with the last trump, and the chance for mak- 
ing a diamond if the qu. of hearts is in D.'s hand. 
It happens to be in C.'s hand, and the correct lead 
of the 9 and the proper play of A.B. makes four 
points difference between the Short and Long 
Whist score. 



Hand XX VII. 217 

HAND XXVII. 

(From " Laws and Principles") 

This illustration is one wherein by Short- Whist 
logic A.B. are out without playing, as they have 
three honours ; but they are made to lose the odd 
card and the game. 

The score is A.B. 3., CD. 4, the 5 of clubs 
turned. The hands are as follows : — 

SPADES. HEARTS. CLTJBS. DIAMONDS. 

A. k. k., 4 k.,10,9,8,7,6,2 k., kn., 9. 

C. kn., 8, 5 ace, 5, 2 qu., 4, 3 ace, qu.,10,2 

B. qu., 9 kn., 10,9,8,7 ace, kn. 7, 6, 4, 3 

D. ace, 10, 7,6,4,3,2 qu., 6, 3 5 8, 5 







The Play 








A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


6 c. 


3 c. 


cxe c. 


5 c. 


2. 


k. c. 


4 c. 


kn. c. 


2 s. 


3. 


2 c. 


qu. c. 


3d. 


3 s. 


4. 


k. S. 


kn. s. 


qu. s. 


ace s. 


5. 


9d. 


10 d. 


4d. 


8d. 


6. 


7 c. 


8 s. 


9 s. 


10s. 


7. 


k. h. 


ace h. 


7h. 


3h. 



2i8 Whist Universal. 



8. 


8 c. 


5 s. 


6 d. 


6 s. 


9. 


4h. 


2h. 


8h. 


qu. h. 


10. 


9 c. 


5h. 


kn. h. 


7 s. 



11 to 13. A. with the lead remains with the 
last tramp and k. kn. of diamonds. Whatever he 
plays, CD. win the odd trick and game. 

Bemarhs. — 3. By the first discard D. shows 
his strong suit to be spades. In an ordinary hand 
he might afterward throw a diamond. But here 
C. must be strong in diamonds to save the game, 
and it is important for D. to keep the power of 
leading that suit more than once. 

A. plays well throughout, but he cannot prevent 
the result. His lead of the trump at trick 3 to 
show his strength, and to tell his partner to make 
one trick certain if he has the chance, is unlucky, 
as it puts the adversaries on the only tack for 
saving the game. 



The above is the Short-Whist order of play and 
comments upon it. It is all wrong according to 
Long-Whist play. The Short- Whist player with 
seven trumps would in London perhaps be termed 
insane if he did not lead one. The Long-Whist 
player considers his hand, and in this one sees not 



Hand XXVIL 219 

a sure trick save four in trumps. This hand must 
indeed take the management of the play, but it 
must be led up to. To gain the odd trick even, it 
must at once throw the lead. 







The Play. 










Long Whist. 








A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


9d. 


10 d. 


3d. 


5 d. 


2. 


k. s. 


kn. s. 


9 s. 


2 s. 


3. 


kn. d. 


qu. d. 


4d. 


8d. 


4. 


k. d. 


ace d. 


6 d. 


3 s. 


5. 


7 c. 


8 s. 


qu. s. 


ace s. 


6. 


k. h. 


ace h. 


7h. 


3h. 


7. 


4h. 


5 s. 


hi. c. 


4 s. 


8. 


6 c. 


5h. 


kn. h. 


qu. h. 


9. 


10 c. 


3 c. 


ace c. 


5 c. 



10 to 13. The qu. of clubs takes, but A.B. 
make two by card. 

Remarks. — 1. If C. had not understood Long 
Whist he might have thrown, according to the 
old English notion, the qu. of diamonds upon 
the 9 led. Had he done so, A.B. would have 
made another trick. 

2. It is proper for D. to pass the kn. led. C. 
may have both k. and qu. If they are on D.'s 



220 Whist Universal. 

right the ace had best be held over them, and if 
either of them with another is on his left it must 
make. 

6. The continuation of his plan of throwing the 
lead is better than a trump play. 



The argument of a Short- Whist player in a case 
like the above is : " Get out the trumps ; their 
primary use is to draw the adversaries', for the pur- 
pose of bringing in your own or your partner's long 
suit." The Long-Whist player is fond of a trump 
reserve ; he likes to know for what purpose he 
is to expend his strength. In the foregoing illus- 
trated hand, as it was played by the Short- Whist 
player, Cavendish says : " A. played well through- 
out, but he could not help the result." The Long- 
Whist player says of the Short- Whist game : " A. 
played very badly, and threw the game away ; " 
and proves his statement by forcing with the same 
cards the different result. 



The Informatory q. 221 



THE INFORMATOEY 9. 

It certainly does not always follow that the lead 
of the 9 is more liable to win than the lead of an- 
other card of another suit. That is not the point. 
There is not a lead that can be made but may 
prove an unfortunate one. The argument is 
simply this : The 9, if used as it should be, is the 
best representative card, because its language can- 
not be mistaken. There is no other card that has 
not as a leader more than one meaning ; it is for 
the interest of the good player to understand this. 
There are players who will neither recognize the 
value of the 9 nor the intricacy of finesse. We 
will not call the attention of such to the play 
that follows. 

In " Whist Developments " there is given a hand 
the result of which can be changed by no manner 
of play on the part of A.B., if CD. manage their 
hands properly. But there is a chance to show of 
what great value the expressive 9 could he if the 
power of the suit were not so fixed in the op- 
ponents' hand ; and notwithstanding it is so fixed, 
the proper play of the 9 gains for its holder the 
same position that is assumed by the play in the 
illustrated hand. 



222 Whist Universal. 



HAND IV. 

{From " Whist Developments") 

The score is 0. The 6 of hearts is turned. The 
hands are as follows : — 



SPADES. 


HEARTS. 


CLUBS. 


DIAMONDS. 


A. k., 10, 7, 


6 kn., 


10, 4 


10, 6, 5, 4 


3,2 


B. qu., 8 


5,3, 


2 


k., kn., 9, 2 


ace, qu., kn., 5 


C.kn.,9,5,3,2 8, 7 




ace,qu.,8,3 


k., 8 


I). ace, 4 


ace,k.,qu.,9,G 


7 


10, 9, 7, 6, 4 


We give 


! first the English Play. 






A. 


c. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


6 s. 


2 s. 


qu. s. 


aces. 


2. 


4h. 


7h. 


2h. 


qu. h. 


3. 


10 h. 


8h. 


3h. 


Lh. 


4. 


kn. h. 


3 s. 


5h. 


ace h. 


5. 


2d. 


k. d. 


ace d. 


6d. 


6. 


h. s. x 


5 s. 


8 s. 


4 s. 


7. 


4 c. 


ace c. 


2 c. 


7 c. 


8. 


7 s. 


kn. s. 


5d. 


4d. 



9 to 13. C. (trick '9) leads 8 of diamonds, B. 
takes it ; and whatever B. leads, CD. win the 
game. (That is, 3 by cards and 2 by honours.) 



Hand IV. 223 



Remarks. — 3. D. shows more than four trumps. 

7. C. can count two more trumps in D.'s hand, 
also three diamonds, all higher than the 6. There- 
fore if C. puts on ace of clubs, the game is a 
certainty, as D. must make two trumps and a dia- 
mond. If C. were uncertain as to the number of 
trumps remaining in D.'s hand, he would pass the 
club, and B.'s k. of clubs and qu. kn. of diamonds 
would save the game. 



ie order in Long Whist would be 


i as fo] 






The Play. 








Long Whist. 






A. 


C. 


B. 


D. 


1. 


6 s. 


2 s. 


qu. s. 


ace s. 


2. 


4h. 


7h. 


2 h. 


qu. h. 


3. 


10 h. 


8h. 


3h. 


k.h. 


4. 


kn. h. 


3 s. 


5h. 


ace h. 


5. 


2d. 


Tc.d. 


5d. 


6d. 


6. 


3d. 


8d. 


Ten. d. 


4d. 


7. 


4 c. 


qu. c. 


9 c. 


7 c. 


8. 


5 c. 


ace c. 


2 c. 


4 s. 


9. 


6 c. 


8 c. 


kn. c. 


6h. 


10. 


10 c. 


5 s. 


qu. d. 


10 d. 


11. 


7 s. 


3 c. 


k. c. 


9h. 


12. 


10 s. 


9 s. 


ace d. 


9 d. 


13. 


L s. 


kn. s. 


8 s. 


7d. 



CD. make three by cards. 



224 Whist Universal. 

Remarks. — 5. B. declines to take the k. There 
are probably three diamonds in D.'s hand better 
than the 6, and B. has but one way to save the 
game. He must retain the power to take the dia- 
mond suit, force the trumps, and find one of the 
high clubs in his partner's hand, as well as the 
spade, good for one trick. 

6. Of course C. would come back with the dia- 
mond ; but B. is ready for that. 

7. The lead of the 9. The best play to be made ; 
but as it finds the teuace in C.'s hand, it cannot 
save the making by the opponents of three sure 
tricks. 

This last hand is very far in advance of the 
three others in quality of play. There are few 
players that play such Whist as this; and they 
who do, know how to appreciate the great impor- 
tance of the 9 original lead, either at the beginning 
or at a critical point of the game. 



American Leads, 225 



AMEEICAN LEADS. 

(From "Whist Developments .") 

For the convenience of players who care to 
read in detail special directions concerning origi- 
nal leads by the new system, we print instructions 
for the three distinctive combinations. 

Low Card Led. 

With an average strong suit containing four 
cards, when the suit is opened with a low card, 
the lowest is the card selected. The third hand 
is expected to play his highest card ; therefore to 
lead a high card would be an unnecessary sacrifice 
of strength. 

Take as an example such a suit as qu., 10, 8, 
7. This is a suit of minimum numerical strength ; 
that is, of four cards exactly. From this combina- 
tion the lowest card, the 7, is led originally. 

Here American Leads propose only a change of 
nomenclature. The 7 is led on either the old or 
the new system. But instead of calling the small- 
est card of minimum numerical strength the lowest 
card, it is now to be called the fourth-best card. 
15 



226 Whist Universal. 

When the fourth-best card is led, the third hand 
knows the leader holds three other cards in that 
suit, all higher than the one led, — in the example, 
three cards all higher than the 7. 

Now add one more card in this suit, say the 4. 
The leader's suit is qu., 10, 8, 7, 4. 

The recognized rule and the American rule again 
coincide. On either system, the 7, the penulti- 
mate card of five, is led. The nomenclature only 
is altered ; instead of calling this card the penul- 
timate, it is called, as before, the fourth-best, count- 
ing from the top of the suit instead of from the 
bottom. 

Now let another card be added, say the 2. 
The leader's suit is qu., 10, 8, 7, 4, 2. From a 
suit of six cards, most players still lead the penul- 
timate ; some lead what they call the ante-penulti- 
mate. It does not appear that any good reason 
can be assigned why the player should change from 
the 7 to the 4 because in addition he holds the 2. 
Hence, discarding the terms penultimate and ante- 
penultimate, the American method still takes the 
fourth-best card — the card of minimum numerical 
strength — as the one to be selected for the origi- 
nal lead, disregarding any or all lower cards. 

Every suit, then, opened with a low card, whether 
of four or more cards, is treated as though the cards 



American Leads. 



227 



below the fourth-best were not in the leader's hand ; 
and whatever low card is led, the third player can 
always place in the leader's hand exactly three 
cards higher than the one first led, as shown by 
the following tabulated example : — 





Lead 




From qu, 10, 8, 


7 




" qu, 10, 8, 


7, 


4 


" qu, 10, 8, 


7, 


4,2 


" qu, 10, 8, 


7, 


&c, &c, &c. 



The fourth-best card — in the above example the 
7 — is sometimes called the card of uniformity. 

The first maxim laid down by American Leads 
is — 

When you open a suit with a low caed, lead your 

FOURTH-BEST. 

It is said that no advantage is gained by show- 
ing your partner that you hold six or seven cards 
of a suit. That, however, is not the point. What 
you do show and what you want to show is, that 
you invariably hold exactly three cards, all higher 
than the one first selected. 

It has already been stated that with some few 
hands the original lead may be from but three 
cards. The only caution necessary on this head 
is that rigid inferences should not be drawn. The 
case of least infrequent occurrence is that of a 



Whist Universal. 



trump lead from three trumps, with very good 
cards in plain suits. 

High Caed Led (followed by low card). 

When ace is led, from ace and four or more 
small cards, the second lead, according to the pres- 
ent play, is the lowest card. The same when king 
is led from king, queen, and small cards, and the 
king wins the trick. Also, when 10 is led from 
king, knave, 10, and the 10 wins the trick. 

In these cases, calculation shows that there is 
not much to choose between the original lead of 
a high card and of a low one. A high card is pre- 
ferred in order at once to force out the higher 
cards, or to make tricks early in the suit, lest the 
later rounds should be trumped. On the sec- 
ond round, then, the leader is in much the same 
position as though he were opening a suit with a 
low card. 

According to the American play the second lead 
in these cases should be the original fourth-best, — 
the card which would have been selected if tlie 
suit had been opened with a small card. What- 
ever low card is led, the third player can always 
place in the leader's hand exactly two cards higher 
than the one selected for the second lead, as shown 
by the tabulated example : — 



American Leads, 



229 



Lead 




Then 


From ace, 


kn., 9, 


8, 


" ace, 


kn., 9, 


8, 


" ace, 


kn., 9, 


8, 


" ace, 


kn., 9, 


8, 



7 

7,5. 
7,5,3 
<fcc, &c, &c. 

The second maxim laid down by American 
Leads may be thns stated : — 

On quitting the head of your suit, lead your ORIGI- 
NAL FOURTH-BEST. 

The above rule applies to the second round of 
the suit only. Some American- Lead players have 
an idea that for the sake of uniformity the maxim 
should be made to apply to all cases where the 
head of the suit is quitted. Thus, having led k., 
ace, from ace, k., 6, 5, 3, they maintain that the 
third lead should be the 5 (the original fourth-best) 
and not the 3. But after two rounds of a suit are 
out, the third lead depends so much on the pre- 
vious fall of the cards, that it does not seem ad- 
visable to lay down any absolute rule. Moreover, 
holding the second and third best remaining cards, 
with or without a small one, after the second round 
of a suit, if the higher one is led and it is not 
covered second hand, it is a direct intimation to 
partner to please himself about trumping it ; if the 
lower one is led, it is an instruction to partner not 
to pass it. If a rule is to be laid down that, hold- 
ing the second and third best remaining cards after 



230 



Whist Universal. 



the second round of a suit, the leader is always to 
proceed with the lower one, partner will be obliged 
to trump it whether the leader wishes it passed 
or not. 



TABLE OF LEADS, NO. I. 

( When no qualification is stated, the lead is the same, irrespective 
of the number or value of the cards in the suit.) 



From. 


Lead. 


Ace, k., qu., kn. (trumps) 

Ace, k., qu., kn. (plain suits) 

Ace, k., qu. (trumps) 

Ace, k., qu. (plain suits) 

Ace, qu., kn., 10. 

Ace, qu., kn. (more than one small) 

Ace, qu., kn. (one small) 


Kn., then ace 

K., then ku. 

Qu. 

K., then qu. 

Ace, then 10. 

Ace, then kn. 

Ace, then qu. 


K., qu., kn., 10 

K., qu., kn. (more than one small) 

K., qu., kn. (one small) 

K., kn., 10, 9 

K., kn., 10 


10 

Kn. 

K., then kn. 

9 

10 


Qu., kn., 10, 9 

Qu., kn., 10 (more than one small) 

Qu., kn., 10 (one small) 


Qu., then 9 
Qu., then 10 
Qu., then kn. 


Kn., 10, 9, 8 

Kn., 10, 9 (more than one small) 

Kn., 10, 9 (one small) 


Kn., then 8 
Kn., then 9 
Kn., then 10 


10, 9, 8, 7 (trumps) 

10, 9, 8 (more than one small, trumps) 

10, 9, 8 (one small, trumps) 

10, 9, 8 (plain suits) 


10, then 7 
10, then 8 
10, then 9 
fourth-best 



American Leads. 231 



High Card Led {followed hy high card). 

Eeaders of these pages, which are addressed 
only to advanced players, are supposed to know 
the ordinary leads. But as the volume may fall 
into the hands of those who are not familiar with 
the mode of leading from high cards, the foregoing 
table of leads is inserted. 

Those that belong to original Long Whist, and 
those that are American, are given, in extenso, in 
the Order of Leads, page 24. 

It will be observed that in some cases the 
higher of two high cards is led on the second 
round, when the suit consists of only four cards ; 
but that when it consists of more than four cards, 
the lower of two high cards is led on the second 
round. 

Eefer, for instance, to ace, qu., kn., where ace 
is followed by an honour. With four of the suit, 
ace, then qu. is led; with more than four, ace, 
then kn. The reason is, that if partner remains 
with k. and one small one after the first lead, the 
leader, holding five or more originally, desires the 
k. to be played to the second trick, so that his suit 
may not be blocked. But if the leader had only 
four originally, he cannot afford to let the second 



232 Whist Universal. 

trick be won twice over, as then there is a much 
greater chance that the eventual command will 
remain against him. 

It follows that if A. leads originally ace, then qu., 
B. will place kn. and one small one in the leader's 
hand ; if A. leads ace, then kn., B. will place qu. 
and at least two small ones in A.'s hand. 

So also, if qu. is led originally. Say ace is put 
on second hand. A. now has the lead again. If 
he led from only four cards, he cannot afford to 
waste his partner's singly-guarded k, so he now 
leads the kn. But if he holds two small cards in 
addition to the kn. and 10, he wants B.'s k. out of 
the way. Therefore, with kn., 10, and more than 
one small card remaining, he goes on with the 10. 
Again, he leads the higher of two equal cards when 
he held but four originally; the lower when he 
held more than four {see Table of Leads, No. I.). 

And B. will count his partner's hand. The lead 
was from four cards at most if qu. is followed by 
kn; from five cards at least if qu. is followed 
by 10. 

Now suppose qu. is led, and that the second 
hand puts on the k. A. gets the lead again, and 
all question about B.'s blocking the suit is at an 
end. That, however, is no reason why A. should 
refrain from informing his partner whether the 



American Leads. 



233 



lead was from four cards or from more than four. 
A. therefore pursues the uniform plan of contin- 
uing with the higher of his two indifferent high 
cards when he led from a maximum of four ; and 
of continuing with the lower of his two indifferent 
high cards when he opened a suit of more than 
four. 

The same applies to kn., 10, 9. Kn. followed 
by 10 signifies 9 and at most one small one 
remaining; kn. followed by 9 signifies 10 and at 
least two small ones remaining. And similarly, 
with 10, 9, 8 in trumps, 10 followed by 9 shows 
four at most ; 10 followed by 8 shows five at 
least. In plain suits a high card is not led from 
10, 9, 8. 

All that American Leads propose here is to 
make the rule constant, by extending it to other 
cases. Thus, with k, kn., 10, the 10 is led. If 
the 10 forces the ace, and A. gets the lead again, 
he has no alternative but to go on with the king, 
as his high cards are not of indifferent value; 
consequently, no information can be given as to 
the number of cards led from. But suppose the 
10 forces the qu, or both qu. and ace, and that A. 
obtains the lead and desires to continue his suit. 
His k. and kn. are high indifferent cards, both 
marked in his hand, and it is in one sense im- 



234 Whist Universal. 

material which of them he leads. But he may 
as well tell his partner whether he led from four 
cards originally, or from more than four. This he 
can do by pursuing the uniform plan of selecting 
on the second round the higher of his two indif- 
ferent cards, — namely the k., when he remains 
with k, kn., and only one small one; or by 
selecting the lower of his two indifferent cards, 
— namely the kn., when he remains with k, kn., 
and more than one small one ; just as he would, 
for example, in the case of a lead from qu., kn., 
10. To know whether your partner led from k, 
kn., 10, four in suit, or from k, kn., 10, more than 
four in suit, may be of great value, especially 
in trumps. Hence, the third maxim of American 
Leads, — ; 

With two high indifferent cards lead the higher 
if you opened a suit OF four ; the lower if you 
opened a suit of five. 

This maxim is not strictly true ; it is stated as 
above because it is more important to mark the 
difference between four and five than to mark the 
difference between five and more than five. Never- 
theless, a uniform method should be adopted in the 
latter cases. For example : kn. is led from k, qu., 
kn., and at least two small ones {see Table of Leads, 
No. I.). Whether the leader next proceeds to lead 






American Leads. 235 

the k. or the qu., he is marked with a minimum 
of five in the suit originally, and with the other 
honour. His k. and qu. are indifferent cards. If 
at his second lead he continues with the k. (the 
higher of his indifferent cards), he remains with his 
minimum ; namely, qu. and two small ones. But if 
he goes on with the qu. (the lower of his indiffer- 
ent cards), he remains with k. and at least three 
small ones. Here the application of the principle 
shows whether the lead was from five cards exactly, 
or from more than five. 

Or, again, the lead is 9 from k., kn., 10, 9. 
Whether the leader also holds the 8, or smaller 
cards, makes no difference. The 9 is still led, 
as it is the card which immediately conveys the 
greatest amount of precise information. The qu. 
comes out, and A. has the lead again. He now 
holds three high indifferent cards. If he leads 
the k., he remains with kn., 10 only. If he does 
not lead the k., he remains with k, kn., or k, 10, 
and at least one other card of the suit. As be- 
tween the lead of the kn. or the 10, on the second 
round, those who like to refine on refinements pre- 
fer the kn. with only one small card, the 10 with 
more than one small card, widening the principle 
by leading the lowest of three indifferent cards 
when the suit led from consisted of at least six. 



236 Whist Universal. 

cards. In actual play it will seldom be of much 
use to show the precise number of small cards 
remaining when more than five cards are led from. 
The information of most value is that the lead was 
from more than four cards, and that the leader 
remains with the command. This is known, 
whether the kn. or 10 is the second card led. 
The example is given more to show fine players 
the effect of uniformity of play on B.'s inferences 
than to proclaim a rule by which the leader may 
show whether he opened a suit of four, five, or six 
cards. What is particularly insisted on is, that the 
leader is not to go on with the k. (qu. being out first 
round), when he led from more than four cards. 

With ace, k., qu., of a plain suit, k. then qu. is 
led, as after the lead of the k., ace and qu. are 
not indifferent cards; so no information can be 
imparted as to number. But in trumps the qu. 
is first led. Ace and king are now indifferent 
cards. After what has already been said, it is 
hardly necessary to observe that if after qu. the 
leader proceeds with the ace, he led from at most 
four trumps ; if after qu. the k. is led, the leader 
remains with ace and at least two small trumps. 
The information conveyed by the selection of the 
k. rather than the ace, on the second round, or 
vice versa, may be of the utmost value. 



American Leads. 237 

Leads from k, qu., and small cards are not 
entered in the table ; as, if k is taken by the ace, 
the qu. must necessarily be next led, and if the 
k. wins the trick the case does not come under 
the head of a high card followed by a high card. 
A small card, the original fourth-best, is then led, 
as already decided, unless the lead was from k, qu., 
kn., and a small card, when kn. is led after k 

In trumps, however, the lead of k, from k, qu., 
declares also the 10 in hand. If kn. ace fall to 
the first trick, qu. 10 are indifferent cards ; and if 
10 is next led, the lead was from more than four 
trumps. 

The leader may remain with high cards which 
are not indifferent. He must then, on the second 
round, lead the card which gives information as 
to his commanding strength, postponing to the 
third round any attempt to convey information as 
to his numerical strength. The information will 
often have been forestalled in these. cases by the 
fall of the cards in the first and second tricks. 
Still, system should be pursued for the sake of 
uniformity. 

With ace, k, qu., kn. of trumps, the only way 
in which the leader can declare to a certainty 
that he led from a quart-major is by leading kn., 
then ace ; for an adverse strong hand, not object- 



238 Whist Universal. 

ing to having trumps out, may hold up the ace on 
the first and second rounds. Hence, after kn. has 
been led, ace, k, qu. are not indifferent cards. 
After the second lead of ace, k. qu. become indif- 
ferent cards. Consequently, if k. is led on the 
third round the leader remains with qu. only ; if 
qu. is led on the third round, the leader remains 
with k. and at least one small one. With such 
very powerful cards it will rarely make any differ- 
ence whether k. or qu. is led on the third round ; 
nevertheless, it is as well to follow rule for the 
sake of uniformity. 

With ace, k., qu., kn. of a plain suit, k. is first 
led. Ace, qu., kn. are not indifferent cards. Kn. 
after k. is the only card that shows the lead to 
have been from a quart-major. If the kn. wins, it 
may be assumed that the ace is not held up ad- 
versely. After the second lead, ace and qu. become 
high indifferent cards. If ace is led on the third 
round, the leader remains with qu. only ; if qu. is 
led on the third round, the leader remains with 
ace and at least one small card. 

If the leader opens an ace, qu., kn., 10 suit, he 
leads ace, then 10, irrespective of the number he 
holds in the suit. He thus at once demonstrates 
great commanding strength, and enables his part- 
ner to unblock should the third hand remain with 



American Leads. 239 

k. singly guarded. The number of cards led from 
is not declared. Qu. and kn. are now marked in 
the leader's hand, and they are indifferent cards. 
If on the third round the qu. is led, the leader 
remains with kn. only ; if on the third round kn. 
is led, the leader remains with qu. and at least 
one small card. 

From ace, qu., kn., 10, 9, the old lead was ace, 
then 9. But this leaves the third hand in doubt 
whether A. remains with qu., kn., 10, or with qu. 
10, or with kn. 10. The most certain information 
of commanding strength is conveyed by 10 after 
ace. Consequently, on the American plan, if ace 
is followed by 9, A. can only hold qu. 10 or 
kn. 10, and at least one small one. If neither qu. 
nor kn. falls, and B. does not hold one of them, 
precise information is not given as to the com- 
mand. If either kn. or qu. falls, the other honour 
and the 10 are marked in A.'s hand. These cards 
are indifferent cards. The lead of the honour on 
the third round shows an original lead from five 
cards exactly; the lead of the 10 on the third 
round shows more than five. The experiment of 
leading the 10 on the third round should only be 
attempted with a partner who can be depended on 
not to trump it. 

The recognized way of leading from k., qu., kn., 



240 Whist Universal. 

and 10, after the first lead of the 10, is wrong ; so 
the conditions of this combination will have to 
be examined at length. 

The original lead of the 10 supposes that if the 
third hand holds ace he will put it on, and so clear 
the suit. If the ace is forced from any hand, the 
present practice is for A. next to lead the qu., — it 
being said that the third player can place k. kn. 
with the leader, but that he does not know where 
the qu. is. This, however, is not sound. If A. 
proceeds with the k. it is because he does not 
hold the qu., as has been already stated. And, 
provided the third hand can depend on his partner 
not to lead a losing card on the second round 
when he holds a winning one, it is clear, if A. 
goes on with the kn., that he also holds the qu. 
Consequently, when 10 forces ace, the qu. and kn. 
are indifferent cards. If the second lead is the 
qu., the leader ought to hold k. kn. only ; if the 
second lead is the kn., the leader ought to remain 
with k. qu., and at least one small card. Observe, 
that if 10 led forces ace, the k. is not an indifferent 
card. 

When the 10 wins the first trick, k., qu., and 
kn. are all indifferent cards. For if the lead was 
from k., kn., 10, without the qu., the next lead is 
the original fourth-best. Hence (10 having won 



American Leads. 241 

the trick), if the k. is the second lead, A. remains 
with qu. kn. only. If the second lead is the qu. 
or kn., A. remains with two other honours and one 
small card. As between qu. and kn., those who 
wish to refine further select the qu. when they 
originally held k, qu., kn., 10, and one small card ; 
the kn., when they originally held k, qu., kn., 10, 
and more than one small card. 

These remarks only apply to the case of A.'s 
continuing the suit. If the 10 forces the ace from 
Y. or B., and the suit is then led by any one but 
A., the position of the qu. is not determined ; so 
A. must play the qu., or B. will infer that it is 
against. The same applies if the 10 forces the ace 
from Z., and Y. returns the suit (an unlikely case). 
If the 10 forces the ace from Z., and B. or Z. 
returns the suit, A. can play kn., as then the posi- 
tion of the qu. is determined. 

Qu. kn., 10, 9 follows the same rule as ace, qu., 
kn., 10. Qu., then 9, is led irrespective of number. 
For when qu. is led, kn. 10 are marked in the 
leader's hand; but the third player cannot place 
the 9. Hence, the second lead of 9 gives the 
most information of commanding strength. After 
the second lead, kn. and 10 become indifferent 
cards. Kn. is led on the third round, if the leader 
remains with 10 only; 10 is led on the third 
16 



242 Whist Universal. 

round, if the leader remains with kn. and at least 
one small one. 

The same applies to kn., 10, 9, 8. Kn., then 
8,. in all cases. After that, the lead of 10 shows 

9 alone in the leader's hand ; the lead of 9 shows 

10 and at least one small one in the leader's 
hand. 

10, 9, 8, 7, in trumps, follows the same rule, — 
10, then 7. After that, the selection of the 9 
shows a lead from only four trumps; the selec- 
tion of the 8 shows a lead from five trumps at 
least. 

It should be borne in mind that all rules are 
subject to the fall of the cards. It is assumed that 
only small cards are played, unless the contrary is 
stated. Eeally good players will of course depart 
from rule when the fall of the cards shows it to 
be advisable. To take some simple instances : A. 
holds ace, qu., kn., 10, 9. The lead is ace, then 
10. But suppose that to the ace Y.'s k. falls. A. 
is by no means bound to go on with the 10, telling 
Y. that he holds qu. kn. ; he might go on with 
the 9. 

Or, qu. is led from qu., kn., 10, and small one ; 
ace is put on, and B.'s 8 falls. When A. leads 
the suit again, he should lead a small one ; as, if 
B. has any more, he can only hold 9 or k. 



American Leads. 243 

Further, it must not be forgotten that there is 
such a thing as an exceptional original lead. Thus, 
if A. leads qu. and then kn. he may hold 10 only, 
or one small one only, or 10 and one small one. 
Hence, the only certain inference B. can draw is 
that A. has not led from qu., kn., 10, and more 
than one small card. 

Again, the play of third and fourth hands may 
be occasionally modified by the successful covering 
of a medium card by second hand. Under these 
circumstances third hand should be cautious in 
returning his partner's lead; fourth hand should 
be more ready if he has no special game of his 
own, to return the lead through the strong. 

The following Table of Leads sums up the treat- 
ment of suits when a high card led is followed by 
a high card. 



244 



Whist Universal. 



• TABLE OF LEADS, NO. II. 



From. 


No. in 

Suit. 


Lead. 


1st. 


2d. 


3d. 


Ace, k., qu., kn. (trumps) 
Ace, k., qu., kn. (trumps) 
Ace, k., qu., kn. (plain suits) 
Ace, k., qu., kn. (plain suits) 
Ace, k., qu. (trumps) 
Ace, k., qu. (trumps) 
Ace, qu., kn., 10 
Ace, qu., kn., 10 
Ace, qu., kn., and small 
Ace, qu., kn., and small 


5 
4 
5 
4 
5 
4 
5 
4 
5 
4 


Kn. 
Kn. 

K. 

K. 

Qu. 
Qu. 

Ace 
Ace 
Ace 
Ace 


Ace 

Ace 

Kn. 

Kn. 
K. 

Ace 
10 
10 

Kn. 

Qu. 


Qu. 
K. 
Qu. 
Ace 

Kn. 
Qu. 


K., qu., kn., 10 
K., qu., kn., 10 
K., qu., kn., 10 
K., qu., kn., 10 
K., qu., kn. 
K., qu., kn. 
K., kn., 10, 9 
K., kn., 10, 9 
K., kn., 10 
K., kn., 10 


5 
4 
5 
4 
6 
5 
5 
4 

t 4 


10 
10 
10 
10 

Kn. 

Kn. 
9 
9 

10 
10 


Kn. 1 
Qu. 1 
Qu. 2 

K. 2 
Qu. 

K. 
Kn. 3 

K.a 
Kn. 8 

K.a 




Qu., kn., 10, 9 
Qu., kn., 10, 9 
Qu., kn., 10 
Qu., kn., 10 


5 
4 
5 

4 


Qu. 
Qu. 
Qu. 

Qu. 


9 

9 

10 
Kn. 


10 
Kn. 


Kn., 10, 9, 8 
Kn., 10, 9, 8 
Kn., 10, 9 
Kn., 10, 9 


5 
4 
5 
4 


Kn. 
Kn. 
Kn. 
Kn. 


8 
8 
9 
10 


9 
10 


10, 9, 8, 7 (trumps) 
! 10, 9, 8, 7 (trumps) 
! 10, 9, 8 (trumps) 

10, 9, 8 (trumps) 


5 

4 
5 

4 


10 
10 
10 
10 


7 
7 
8 
9 


8 
9 


1 If 10 forces ace. 2 If 10 wins the first trick. 
3 "If queen, or queen, ace are out. 



A Hand at Cards. 245 



A HAND AT CAEDS. 

Cavendish in his Card Essays gives us the 
story of "The Duffer Maxims," and some anec- 
dotical matter of an amusing nature about the 
talkers. By way of appendix to sober instruction 
we have thought to introduce the conversation 
verbatim during a single hand of four persons 
seated for the purpose of "playing whist," as 
each of them called the performance, — literally, 
however, a rollicking exhibition that should be 
named 

Playing at Whist : A Burlesque. 

The play is by the five-point game. The score 
is 0. C. deals and turns the 9 of hearts. 

" There," says C, " that 's the way you treat me. I 
never get an honour in the world, but when I cut, 
somehow I always cut one for somebody else." 

B. takes up his hand, sorts it. It is composed of 
ace and 2 of spades ; kn., 6, and 3 of hearts ; qu., 
kn., 9, and 7 of diamonds ; and 7, 6, 5, and 4 of 
clubs ; and he begins the usual growl. " I should 



246 Whist Universal. 

like to know how anybody is going to get anything 
out of this. I never can get a hand. [That is to 
say, he does not hold ace, k., and qu., of three 
plain suits and the four honours in trumps. Give 
him these cards every time, and he would be 
pleased to play whist.] " I suppose I must play 
something. There 's a diamond ; that 's according 
to rule, anyhow," and throws the 7. 

" You don't strike me very heavily," says D., 
" but I can follow suit," and throws the 6. He 
holds the k., 10, 8, 7, 6, of spades ; the k. and 7 of 
hearts ; the ace, k., qu., and 2 of clubs ; and the k. 
and 6 of diamonds. 

" I can take that," says A., throwing the ace ; 
" that is, unless it 's trumped." He holds the 5, 4, 
and 3 of spades ; the ace, qu., 10, 4, and 2 of hearts ; 
the ace, 10, 8, 3, and 2 of diamonds, and no club. 
" Are you going to trump that, C. ? " 

"No," says C, "I can't trump anything, nor 
take anything either, I guess," and plays the 4. 
He holds the qu., kn., and 9 of spades; the 9, 8, 
and 5 of hearts; the kn., 10, 9, 8, and 3 of clubs; 
and the 5 and 4 of diamonds. 

"Now," says A., "let's try a little trump," 
and throws the 4 of hearts. 

" Coming at us earlv, are you ? " says C, and he 
plays the 5. 



A Hand at Cards. 247 

" I '11 try to get that," says B., and throws 
the kn. 

" No you don't," says D., and bangs the k. upon 
the trick. 

"Well, I didn't expect it," says B. "It was 
the best that I had. If we get out of this without 
losing the whole thing, / shall be glad." 

" Now," says D., " there 's a club for you," throw- 
ing the k. 

A. determines, " I '11 let that travel," and throws 
the 3 of spades. C. 3 of clubs, B. 4. " I did n't 
know but you might have thp ace," said A. to B. 
" He might have led from king and queen." 

" Yes, that 's so," said B., " of course you could n't 
tell." (N. B. Trumping the trick would have 
made no difference in result.) 

" Well, I '11 have one of your trumps, anyway," 
says D., and throws the queen of clubs. A. trumps 
unwillingly with the 2 of hearts ; C. plays the 8 
of clubs, and B. the 5. 

" Now, we '11 see about this," says A., and plays 
the 10 of hearts. He remembers that the k. and 
kn. have fallen, and thinks he knows whist pretty 
well to lead the 10 now instead of the ace. C. 
plays 8, B. 3, D. 7. " You have another," says 
A. to C, for he remembered the 9 was turned, — 
another positive proof to himself of great profi- 



248 Whist Universal. 

ciency in whist. A. qu., C. 9, B. 6, D. 6 of 
spades. 

"Now I'll give my partner his suit." Proof 
number three of skill and information about the 
game ; and he throws the 3 of diamonds, C. 5, B. 
km, D. k. 

"I'll have that trump anyhow," says D., and 
plays the ace of clubs, displaying his embracing 
knowledge of whist, that will not only not let a 
trump remain in the opponent's hand, but dares to 
sacrifice a high card to bring it out. D. ace of 
clubs, A. ace of hearts, C. 6 of clubs, B. 5 of clubs. 
Then A. plays 2 of diamonds, C. 9 of clubs, B. qu, 
of diamonds, D. 2 of clubs ; B. 9 of diamonds, D. 
7 of spades, A. 10 of diamonds, 0. 10 of clubs ; 
A. 8 of diamonds, C. 8 of spades, B. 7 of clubs, 
D. 9 of spades. Three rounds in silence. No 
help for it. 

" Now," says D., " we '11 have something else." 
A. leads the 5 of spades ; C. plays qu., B. ace, and 
D. 10. 

" Any more aces ? " says D. 

" No, only a little spade that I suppose you will 
get," says B., and plays the 2, taken by D.'s king. 

" All right, we 're three by card," says B. " I 
should never have guessed it by the looks of my 
hand." 



A Hand at Cards. 249 

"You must remember I helped you a little," 
said A. 

" We stopped you from going out, that 's all that 
I thought we could do," says C. 

" Well, we got all that there was \ there did n't 
any of them get away," says A. 

"Come on, it's my deal," says B. "Cut the 
cards ? " 

" Yes, and I suppose cut you an honour," says C. 

And so the game goes charmingly on. 

This, and like to this, is the talk or the thought 
of hundreds of card-handlers. These players had 
no idea of what the cards they held were capable, 
and thought that they were really playing them 
in accordance with their value. Let us place the 
same cards in the hands of good Long- Whist play- 
ers, who read them as they fall, drawing the infer- 
ences they offer, but under the law of their game 
speaking not a word, and see how A. and B., from 
the same beginning, compel the entire game before 
the adversaries secure a trick. 

B. throws the 7 of diamonds, the correct lead 
from his hand; D. plays the 6. A. instantly 
reasons in this wise : " My partner must have 
three higher cards. He cannot have k. and qu., 
or he would have led the k. ; he cannot have k. 



250 Whist Universal. 

and kn., or he would have led the 9 ; he holds the 
qu., kn., and 9. The 6 is played on my right. D. 
is probably not calling, for I have five trumps. 
Either the k. is there alone, or D. has no more. 
If he has no more, k. with another held by C. will 
take at any rate. I must pass the trick to catch 
the card upon my right." 

All this that takes so long to write and to 
read flashes instantaneously through the mind 
of a good player. 

A. throws the 3 of diamonds, for not only must 
he not play the ace, but he must not take the trick 
because he must not have the lead; C. throws 
the 4 B. at once took in the situation and led 
the highest of his trumps. D. could gain nothing 
by refusing to throw k. If A. had ace, and k. was 
not played, A. would not cover kn ; and if 0. had 
either ace or qu. (for B. could have neither of 
these), C. was to be helped by D.'s play, calling, in 
trumps, two honours for one. If A. held both ace 
and qu., of course D.'s play was fruitless. B. kn. of 
hearts, D. k., A. ace, C. 5. A. drew the other trumps 
with qu. and 10, played the ace of diamonds on 
which the k. must fall, and continued the dia- 
monds, — B. having thrown the kn. on ace that he 
might be out of A.'s way, for from C.'s play of the 
4 and 5 the rest of the diamonds were marked with 



A Hand at Cards. 251 

A. B. having taken the small diamond next led 
with the queen, threw the ace of spades, as he saw 
that with A.'s diamonds and trumps the game was 
won. B. led the 9 of diamonds ; A. took with the 
10, played the 8, and then the trumps ; claiming 
five points and game. 

As we close this text-book devoted to the stu- 
dents of the wondrous game, we kindly recom- 
mend those who are careless about the proprieties 
to contrast the manner of this play of the same 
cards, to consider the folly of making remarks 
while the game is in progress, and to derive such 
satisfaction as they may from the illustration that 
defines the difference between playing whist and 
playing at whist. 



APPENDIX. 



It will be proper to let some of the authors 
speak for themselves, that their several exhibits 
may be our reasons for disagreement with them. 

Dr. Pole declares that "no attempt has ever 
been made to work out or to explain the funda- 
mental theory of the gams, which is, that the hands 
of the two partners shall not be played singly or 
independently, but shall be combined and treated 
as one ; and that in order to carry out most effec- 
tually this principle of combination, each partner 
shall adopt the long-suit system as the general 
basis of his play ; " and that " any one who has 
sufficiently mastered the principles [Pole on Whist, 
p. 85] here laid down [that is, Cavendish instruc- 
tions in duplicate, — practical with Cavendish, 
theoretical with Pole] to apply them fluently in 
his play, may be called a sound player, and will 
possess by far the most important qualification 
for proficiency in the game." 



254 Appendix. 



As no one ever supposed he could play whist 
without a partner ; as the union of interest between 
partners is an established theory of itself; as it 
would be impossible from Pole's order of leads for 
a partner to guess what cards the leader held ; 
as each player must singly play his own hand, 
regulating such play from force of circumstance, 
combination being mythical; as Dr. Pole neither 
in his "Theory " nor " Philosophy " suggests a single 
rule not already understood in reference to what 
either player shall do; and as the new doctrine 
of American Leads distinctly informs the partner 
not only what his duty is, but also what the leader 
holds to help him in doing it, — there can be little 
doubt but that the practical player stands in small 
need of the Doctor's theoretical advice. 

Capt. Campbell- Walker states that the Alumni 
of the Athenaeum Club discussed the right of the 
title to his little book of questions and answers, and 
" it was carried, nem con, that the ' Correct Card ' 
contained all that was really essential to the 
formation of a good whist-player." 

How a pocket edition of interrogatories and 
replies about a few points in the game can em- 
brace all that is required to make an accom- 
plished whist-player, will be understood by those 



Appendix. 255 



who can learn the Chinese language by consulting 
the characters on a tea-chest. 

As the Captain directs from the four honours 
held the lead of k, then qu., then kn. in plain 
suits, and in trumps kn., then qu., then k, the 
Alumni will never vote Cavendish a diploma. 

Mr. Eichard A. Proctor, in 1885, prints "How 
to play Whist," and claims to instruct the players 
of this late day, stating in his preface that " out- 
side the modern signalling system and the abso- 
lute rejection of the singleton lead, there is very 
little difference between the whist of to-day and 
the whist of Hoyle and Mathews." 

After the above statement we are not surprised 
to hear Mr. Proctor call Campbell- Walker's cate- 
chism "a very useful book," to give Cavendish 
credit for invention of the trump-signal, to re- 
commend the play of queen by second hand on 
knave led, or to print as frontispiece an absurd 
fabrication declaring that the cards were dealt 
to a duke, and justifying the silliest lead that 
could be made from the combination. The ex- 
hibition of this monstrosity is of a piece with the 
show of Pole's " remarkable whist curiosity ; " and 
the assertions concerning it vie with the state- 
ment made by a Short-Whist writer, that " the 



256 Appendix, 



Vienna Coup was the result of an accidental deal, 
and a man on seeing the cards instantly exclaimed, 
' I shall make all thirteen tricks.' " The wondrous 
Vienna Coup was the invention of some shrewd 
player who probably gave to its construction 
weeks of time. 

We are much mystified to find that Mr. Proctor 
can say such things or print such things, for in 
his book are valuable games that could never 
have been played by Hoyle or Mathews, and 
there are common-sense suggestions that stand 
aghast as they confront the Cumberland fraud. 

In a little budget of errors of about sixty pages, 
called "A Hand-Book of Whist," the author states 
that he has endeavored " to give all that is neces- 
sary to lay the groundwork for, in other words 
to insure, a good whist-player." 

Now Cavendish uses a hundred pages that 
he may print the principles that we are required 
to peruse in order to ascertain that from them 
a theory may be moulded ; and he further truth- 
fully informs us that after the mould is made 
we are "to add the power of accurate obser- 
vation, of acute perception, and a thorough 
comprehension of the whist capacities of part- 
ners and opponents." And then we have only 



Appendix. 257 



" the dements necessary to form a master of the 



Under a nom de plume a writer dedicates his 
book without permission to Cavendish and J. C, 
and having stated that whist is entirely unsuited 
for gambling purposes, prints on another page 
the odds at Short Whist. He gives maxims and 
advice to students and beginners. Some of the 
maxims are good ; a part of the advice is as fol- 
lows : " If you have a miserably weak hand poor 
in all suits, lead the 9, if you have it, of your 
longest suit, which will at once convey to your 
partner the knowledge that you have nothing in 
any suit, or you have led it as the lowest of a 
sequence up to the kiug. The chances are that 
the cards in his own hand will tell him which, 
or he will know at once by the card you play 
on the return lead." 

Perhaps it would be well to contrast the above 
insanity with information on page 118, et seq. 

Another bookmaker makes " an attempt to con- 
dense, arrange, and marshal into a system all the 
specific directions for play that could be found in 
the works of the acknowledged masters of the 
game of whist." We should look for a cyclopedic 
17 



258 Appendix. 



text-book of no inconsiderable size from a man 
who is to glean so extensively, but we are almost 
immediately told that "the author ventures to 
hope that his meagre outline of the beauties and 
intricacies," etc; and he winds up by asking 
" indulgence for errors and omissions/' forcing the 
conclusion that all the directions are not given, 
and, alas ! that some which are given may not 
be the literal utterances of the aforesaid acknowl- 
edged masters. 

The above extracts express the spirit and the 
quality of the books that have been issued by the 
London press. It is concerning such that Caven- 
dish writes, " Of Major A. I say nothing. Major 
A. is merely Mathews done into Short Whist with 
irrelevant additions." 



University Press : John Wilson & Son, Cambridge. 



31*77-3 



